site.btaBulgaria, Azerbaijan Will Advance Strategic Partnership, Want to Resurrect Nabucco Project

POLITICS-AZERBAIJAN-PRESIDENT-VISIT

Bulgaria, Azerbaijan
Will Advance Strategic Partnership,
Want to Resurrect Nabucco Project


Sofia, March 4 (BTA) - Bulgaria and Azerbaijan share genuine
friendship and common positions on many issues on the Black Sea
cooperation agenda and are willing to advance their relations in
 the fields of energy, pharmacy, IT, agriculture and tourism.
Presidents Rosen Plevneliev of Bulgaria and Ilham Aliyev of
Azerbaijan rallied behind this idea here on Wednesday. The two
signed a strategic partnership declaration between Bulgaria and
Azerbaijan.

Bulgarian President Plevneliev noted that Azerbaijan is a key
partner in Bulgaria's and Southeastern Europe's efforts to
diversify energy supplies and ensure energy security.

The sides noted that the concept of a EU Energy Union which was
unveiled last week makes Azerbaijan a key partner in EU's drive
to energy security. Plevneliev underscored that an agreement
with Azerbaijan for the supply of 1 billion cu m natural gas
annually lays the foundation to the energy cooperation between
Bulgaria and Azerbaijan and is a prerequisite for the effective
energy diversification of all countries in the region.

Bulgaria is ready to extend the scope of agreements about Azeri
gas supply, added the Bulgarian head of State.

Plevneliev said that an interconnector between Bulgaria and
Greece is an integral part of the Southern Gas Corridor. The
implementation of this infrastructure project will provide
Bulgaria with access to the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline, which
together with an interconnector between Bulgaria and Romania
will open the door to the transit of Caspian gas to the Visegrad
 countries.

Plevneliev supported the advancement of the strategic
partnership between EU and Azerbaijan. Azeri President Aliyev
underscored a need for stepping up cooperation in the Black Sea
and the Caspian regions, which will make relations more
predictable. The construction of a speed railway between Europe
and Asia will create new possibilities for economic cooperation.
 Plevneliev noted Bulgaria's role on the Balkans, which opens
possibilities to implementing joint regional projects together
with Azerbaijan.

Plevneliev invited more Azeri investments to Bulgaria, noting a
potential to implement concrete projects in the field of
household gasification and the construction of gas storage
infrastructure in Bulgaria and Southeastern Europe.

Emerging from a meeting with President Aliyev, Prime Minister
Boyko Borissov urged for the resumption of the Nabucco Pipeline
and more specifically its section between the Trans-Anatolian
Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and Nabucco West via Bulgaria.

According to Borissov, Bulgaria is an extremely loyal EU member
and has implemented all legal requirements of the Third Energy
Package unlike many other countries. Borissov said that together
 with President Aliyev and representatives of the State Oil
Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) he will present the idea
to the European Commission to resurrect the project.

Borissov said Bulgaria has invested a lot of money in a project
which is backed by both NATO and EU. He said that participation
in the Southern Gas Corridor and a possibility to buy shares
gives a strategic advantage to the country.