site.bta Forum Marks 25 Years of Diplomatic Relations between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan

Forum Marks 25 Years of Diplomatic Relations between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan

Sofia, May 15 (BTA) - A conference on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Bulgaria's diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan, held at Europe House in Sofia, highlighted the two countries' prospects for bilateral partnership and multilateral cooperation. The event was organized by the Diplomatic Institute under the Bulgarian Foreign Minister, Azerbaijan's Embassy in Sofia, and the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria.

Energy Minister Temenouzhka Petkova said Bulgaria has always supported the Southern Gas Corridor and has been actively involved in the initiative driven by "our friends in Azerbaijan."

Petkova said the projects through which her country shares in the Southern Gas Corridor are the natural gas interconnectors Greece-Bulgaria and Turkey-Bulgaria. The former is undoubtedly of geostrategic importance and has advanced considerably over the last two years, which would have been impossible without the partnership with Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR, she noted. According to Petkova, three challenges which confronted the Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector project were addressed successfully: the making of the final investment decision, the conduct of a market test, and the question about the funding.

The Energy Minister went on to say: "The construction of the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector is an irreversible process. The project will be implemented according to the roadmap that we have drawn up."

She assured the audience that the Bulgarian government will continue to work actively for the further development of relations with Azerbaijan. She described the Caspian country as "a strategic partner whom we know we can always trust, a partner with whom we have a wonderful relationship."

Petkova told journalists that the documentation is being prepared for a public procurement procedure for the construction of the Greece-Bulgaria natural gas interconnector. She said the procedure will begin very soon and construction itself should start by the end of the first quarter of 2018. Gas supplies via the future pipeline are expected to begin after 2020.

Azeri Ambassador to Bulgaria Nargiz Gurbanova said that her country's relations with Bulgaria have been promoted to the level of strategic partnership over the last few years. Gurbanova said: "Our bilateral cooperation is multifaceted and encompasses a wide range of matters, such as energy, trade, agriculture, sports, arts and culture, and scientific research. We in Azerbaijan remember that Bulgaria was one of the first countries that recognized our independence."

According to the diplomat, the transregional megaprojects initiated by Azerbaijan in the field of energy and transport are reshaping the whole Caspian region by creating economic opportunities not only for Azerbaijan but also for its neighbours, and Azerbaijan has turned from a recipient to a provider of security.

The President of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, Solomon Passy, said Bulgaria is perhaps closer to Azerbaijan than any other mainland EU nation, and the two countries are a natural bridge linking the Caspian Sea with the Black Sea.