site.btaBulgaria, Germany Agree on Cooperation in Energy, Climate Action

Bulgaria and Germany signed a Joint Declaration on Cooperation in the Field of Energy and Climate Action here on Sunday, the Bulgarian Energy Ministry said in a press release.

The document was signed by Bulgarian Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov and Germany's Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck. 

"We outlined new prospects for the traditionally good Bulgarian-Germany energy relations. We will broaden our partnership in hydrogen technologies, renewable energy, the Green Transition, green energy corridors, supplies diversification and other areas," Malinov said at the signing of the Declaration, which took place within the framework of the second Middle East-North Africa-Europe Future Energy Dialogue (MEFED.

The Declaration also covers the promotion of energy efficiency and security, sector decarbonization, and carbon capture, use and storage.

The Declaration takes a step forward the mutually advantageous contacts between Bulgaria and Germany in the field of energy, the two ministers stressed during a bilateral session of talks before the signing. Malinov noted the two countries' active role in Southeastern Europe for achieving energy supplies diversification in the changed geopolitical situation and for setting up new energy corridors ensuring security of the systems in the region and resource independence.

Malinov also had a bilateral meeting with Greek Environment and Energy Minister Theodoros Skylakakis. They discussed the strategic importance of cooperation between their countries for Europe's energy security. The already constructed LNG terminal at Alexandroupolis is key in this respect. Once launched into commercial operation on October 1, the facility will provide European consumers with additional quantities of natural gas from secure sources at competitive prices, the Energy 
Ministry press release says.

In Thessalonki, Malinov also conferred with Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability Affairs of the United Arab Emirates. As an important transit hub for energy flows from Central Asia and the Middle East to Europe, Bulgaria would like to see an invigoration of the dialogue between energy resources producer countries, transit countries and consumer countries, the Bulgarian Energy Minister told his counterpart.