First expert meeting of the V4 countries + Bulgaria, Greece, Romania on the initiative for a new gas corridor
15 April 2014 News
Bulgaria has a direct interest and actively participates in the implementation of the strategic EU initiatives for creating the energy infrastructure and diversification of energy supply. Bulgaria, together with Greece and Romania, can also play a key role for the integration of the South East Europe energy market in the European one and for the implementation of the Visegrad Group initiative to develop energy connectivity on the South- North Axis.
This was said by Minister Kristian Vigenin at the opening of the expert meeting of representatives of the Visegrad Group, Bulgaria, Greece and Romania, which was held today at the MFA. The meeting is in response of the commitment of Minister Vigenin Bulgaria to host the first expert level talks between the seven countries.
In his statement at the opening of the meeting, Kristian Vigenin recalled that in February in Budapest the foreign ministers of Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Greece and Romania have confirmed their shared commitment to achieve a common European energy market and to support the idea of the Hungarian V4 Presidency to further enhance cooperation in energy security issues.“We highlighted the importance of building the missing interconnectors and infrastructure between our countries together with secure options for access to liquefied natural gas as a way to promote genuine gas-to-gas competition and competitive gas prices for our consumers,” he added.
According to Kristian Vigenin, the initiative for a new gas corridor, connecting the countries of South East Europe with the countries of the Visegrad Group and the regional energy market, provides an opportunity to refocus on the more immediate and accessible options, on early identification and mitigation of risks, development of market opportunities as well as on the development and implementation of joint strategies based on shared governance and use of resources.
The leading goal for the nearest future is to have a functioning and an efficient Integrated Internal energy market of the EU. The countries of the Central and SE Europe could not integrate fully and efficiently into the internal EU market, without the relevant infrastructure in the region and without having set up a fully liberalised, functioning and efficient natural gas and electricity marke, added Minister Vigenin.
According to him, pooling together resources and aligning objectives and actions within the CEE/SEE should further lead to more investors’ security, increased confidence and interests in the energy sector. This would contribute to the creation of conditions for healthier competition in the gas and energy markets.
“For us today’s meeting is yet another important step towards the promotion of the idea for a new robust South–North infrastructure and a contribution to the European energy security,” concluded the Foreign Minister. The aim of the meeting today is to encourage thoughtful exchange of views and to promote future discussions with a view of achieving political approval of the initiative in line with the time frame proposed by the Greek Presidency of the EU, added Kristian Vigenin.
The meeting was attended by experts from governmental institutions of the countries of the Visegrad Group, Bulgaria, Greece and Romania, as well as academics and representatives of companies in the energy sector.