site.btaEnergy Minister Petkova Participates in Southern Gas Corridor Meeting in Baku

Energy Minister Petkova Participates in  Southern Gas Corridor Meeting in Baku

Baku/Sofia, February 29 (BTA) - Addressing the second meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council in Baku on Monday, Azeri Energy Minister Natiq Aliyev called Bulgaria a catalyst for the Azeri natural gas to the European market. Aliyev thanked the Bulgarian government for the support and steps taken to implement the project.

Participants in the meeting concurred that the South Gas Corridor will diversify sources and routes for gas deliveries to Europe. Taking stock of the major steps taken in 2015 to implement the project, representatives of Southern Gas Corridor countries were adamant that their concerted efforts to ensure energy independence, improve inter-system connectivity and provide access to alternative energy sources should continue in 2016.

Energy Minister Temenouzhka Petkova recalled that at the end of 2015 shareholders in the ICGB project company signed a final investment decision on the interconnector between Bulgaria and Greece. "The project received positive environmental impact assessments in Bulgaria and Greece and now land is being appropriated. A market test is underway whose first stage will conclude by the end of March this year," said Petkova. She added that the market test results will allow the start of the interconnector construction by the end of 2016 and procurement procedures are being prepared. Petkova underscored that through Bulgaria's interconnectors with Greece and Turkey, the Caspian gas will reach Southeastern Europe. Petkova assured participants in the meeting that Bulgaria will continue to work for the implementation of the South Gas Corridor.

The declaration signed after the second meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council mentions the Greece-Bulgaria and Turkey-Bulgaria Interconnectors as an integral part of the project's infrastructure.

Participating in this year's meeting were EU Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic, US Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs Amos Hochstein, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, representatives of Greece, Turkey, Albania, Italy, Georgia, Montenegro, etc.

During the ministerial, Petkova and her Turkish counterpart, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak, discussed ways to strengthen bilateral energy cooperation, the Bulgarian Energy Ministry said. They concurred that the Turkey-Bulgaria Interconnector is a priority because the two countries are strategic partners in the Southern Gas Corridor project.

The two countries' working group on energy will resume its meetings to consider the findings of the feasibility study for the Turkey-Bulgaria Interconnector, the Energy Ministry said.