Minister Vigenin supported the Hungarian initiative for a new gas corridor
24 February 2014 News
The challenges of a strategic development and climate change, changing dynamics of the global energy landscape, the ambitious EU sustainable climate and energy policy set up a very demanding agenda for all of us.
We should make a concerted effort and show innovative thinking in order to address these challenges in energy security context: diversification, expansion and modernization of energy infrastructure; energy efficiency, sustainability, competitiveness; sustainable low carbon technologies; transition towards more sustainable mix and model of consumption. This was said by Minister Kristian Vigenin at the Foreign Ministers of the Visegrad Group and Bulgaria, Romaniaand Greece, held today in Budapest.
Minister Vigenin expressed the Bulgarian position that the realization of the Southern Gas Corridor is a very important step towards diversification of the natural gas supply to the European markets and strengthening of the energy security of the Union and of Europe in general. Bulgaria , together with Greece and Romania can play a key role for the integration of the SEE energy market in the European one, he said, adding that coordinated policies could facilitate the establishment of an integrated regional market, along with the relevant infrastructure needed for the connection of the energy systems in compliance with the EU energy legislation.
According to Kristian Vigenin, building a a regional infrastructure is not an end in itself but just a step towards achieving our leading goal for the nearest future: functioning and an efficient Integrated Internal energy market of the EU. “Very pertinent in this context is the initiative of the Visegrad countries for the establishment of an integrated natural gas market among them by the end of 2014. We are confident that it will play a key role for the development of the North-South Axis of the EU energy infrastructure, added the Bulgarian Foreign Minister.
According to Kristian Vigenin, the initiative for new gas corridor connecting Southeast Europe countries with the countries of the Visegrad Group and the regional energy marketgives the much needed refocusing on the more immediate and accessible options, on early identification and mitigation of risks, developing market opportunities as well as on the development and implementation of joint strategies based on shared government and use of resources.
The initiative is consistent with the interests and the vision of Bulgaria on the development of gas infrastructure in the region, giving the preponderance of connecting the national gas systems over large investment projects such as Nabucco, Minister Vigenin said to his counterparts. In his words, the V4 proposal is advantageous for the countriesin SEE, because it creates an additional opportunity for joint dialogue with the European institutions on the implementation of prioritized projects for system connectivity and development of the national gas infrastructure. It could serve as an additional incentive to attractthe interest from the private sector for investments, he added.
Minister Vigenin pointed out that the concerted efforts of Bulgaria, the Visegrad countries, Romania and Greece will be much more effective in terms of providing the political, institutional and financial support for projects of common interest and the dialogue with potential investors. In conclusion, the Foreign Minister emphasized the need to keep the momentum of the debate and the level of understanding and support for the HU initiative and to move on with further discussion on the legal, regulatory and technical aspectsat expert level meeting, expressing Bulgaria’s readiness to host the first expert meeting.
During his visit to Budapest, Minister Kristian Vigenin held bilateral talks with his counterparts from Poland and the Czech Republic - Radoslaw Sikorski and Lubomir Zaoralek.
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