site.btaEnergy Minister, Hungarian Foreign Minister Discuss Bilateral Cooperation, Energy Security

Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov and Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto discussed opportunities for expanding bilateral cooperation to ensure energy security in the region during a working breakfast in Sofia, Malinov’s Ministry reported on Friday.

Malinov said that strengthening strategic partnerships will help find joint solutions to overcome energy challenges. One of the ways to achieve this is by improving connectivity between regions producing and consuming green energy, ensuring affordable and predictable energy supplies. Malinov also recalled that Bulgaria presented a document at the COP29 climate forum in Baku, advocating for energy connectivity dialogues. Enhancing this connectivity in the transmission of electricity through the southern-to-northern European corridor will strengthen energy security and integrate renewable energy into the system, he added.

Szijjarto reiterated Hungary's support for Bulgaria's inclusion in the intergovernmental agreement on the Green Corridor Project. Both ministers agreed that the pre-project study should develop two possible routes for transmitting green energy from the Caspian region through Bulgaria. 

During the conversation, the Energy Minister highlighted Bulgaria's key role in diversifying and securing energy supplies. He stressed that Bulgaria's role for the implementation of the Vertical Gas Corridor, a strategic initiative to enhance gas supply security for countries in the region, will increase. Malinov informed his counterpart that the Bulgarian state operator, Bulgartransgaz, is fulfilling its contractual obligations on time and with the necessary quality. He also stated that after the sanctions imposed on Gazprombank, the company that has reserved capacity for transit through Bulgaria, it must find a way to make payments to continue receiving the service. The two sides discussed a possible solution involving Hungary.

The two Ministers also discussed bilateral topics related to maintaining and developing nuclear power capacities in both countries. They agreed that nuclear power plants have a future as a reliable source of electricity at affordable prices. Szijjarto shared updates on the progress of new nuclear energy facilities in Hungary, while Malinov outlined Bulgaria's plans to develop its nuclear energy sector sustainably with two new units at the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant.