site.btaBulgaria Participates in Informal EU Ministerial of Pro-Nuclear Countries

Bulgarian Energy Minister Rumen Radev participated in a meeting of 12 pro-nuclear EU countries, held on the sidelines of an informal EU energy ministerial in Valladolid, Spain on July 12, said his Ministry. It brought together the ministers of France, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden, with Belgium and Italy attending as observers.

The participants reaffirmed the key role of nuclear energy in ensuring the stability and resilience of the electricity grid throughout the European electricity market. They expressed the view that nuclear technologies and renewable energy sources complement each other in achieving the EU's climate and energy security goals. The ministers prepared a joint paper to the European Commission calling for adequate recognition and support for nuclear energy. They argued that the principle of technological neutrality and the sovereign right of Member States to determine their energy mix should be duly taken into account in European policies. 

Meeting with his Greek counterpart Theodoros Skylakakis, Minister Radev discussed the deepening of energy cooperation and the strategic development of energy ties between the two countries. Increasing the security of gas supplies through the development of the necessary infrastructure, including the key infrastructure projects of the liquefied natural gas terminal near Alexandroupolis and the Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector, as well as the Alexandroupolis-Burgas oil pipeline and hydrogen projects, were also discussed.  

Radev also held bilateral meetings with German Secretary of State Sven Giegold and Portuguese Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Ana Fontura Gouveia, to discuss best practices and opportunities for cooperation in the field of green hydrogen. The sides underscored the key role of hydrogen in enhancing the security of energy supplies in the EU. In this context, they discussed the need to attract more investment and to use the potential of existing infrastructure and connectivity in the EU. 

Strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of electricity and gas connectivity was the topic of Minister Radev's talks with Romanian State Secretary at the Energy Ministry, Dan-Dragos Dragan.