Minister Malinov held talks with the ambassadors of Azerbaijan and Germany
Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov and Dr. Huseyn Huseynov, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Bulgaria discussed ways to deepen energy cooperation. “As a strategic partner of Bulgaria, Azerbaijan is at the forefront of ensuring the diversification of natural gas supplies and increasing energy security in the region,” Minister Malinov underlined. “There is a great potential for our countries to collaborate in terms of energy agreements between the European Union and the Republic of Azerbaijan. We wish to continue our partnership by ensuring the supply of additional quantities of natural gas from Azerbaijan to Bulgaria and the region,“ Minister Malinov said. The Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Bulgaria Dr. Huseyn Huseynov noted that Bulgaria currently plays the role of a strategic hub via which natural gas is transported in the region. They agreed that the importance of natural gas deliveries from Azerbaijan would increase after the upcoming suspension of Russian natural gas transit through Ukrainian territory.
The project for building an undersea power cable in the Black Sea was also among the topics treated in the discussion with H.E. Ambassador Huseynov. According to Energy Minister Malinov, this initiative could be utilized for transport of green energy and thus energy security could further be ensured.
Minister Malinov and H.E. Irene Plank, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Bulgaria, highlighted the strategic partnership between the parties and outlined issues of common interest within which cooperation could be deepened. Energy Minister Malinov focused on Bulgaria's plans to maintain and develop the capacity of nuclear energy. “Building Unit 7 of Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant is one of the top priorities of our government. We welcome the potential involvement of any foreign company with experience in the activities required to carry out the project in strict compliance with all safety requirements,” Malinov added.
Ambassador Plank informed Minister Malinov about the recent developments in the LNG market in Germany. They agreed to deepen the bilateral cooperation in securing the necessary quantities of natural gas for Europe following the expected suspension of Russian natural gas transportation via Ukraine. The Energy Minister and the German Ambassador exchanged views on ways to present the potential of Stara Zagora region to foreign investors so that to keep its stability. “The gradual transition to energy transformation will guarantee the preservation of the expert capacity of the Maritsa-East complex,” Mallinov stressed.
