Minister Malinov at the Energy Forum in Istanbul: Connectivity between energy producers and consumers will ensure security in the region
“Energy is the backbone of any economy and is at the heart of the security of the parties. Thanks to the strengthening of the strategic partnership at regional level, we will be better coordinated and have common solutions and responses to address energy challenges. Investment and better connectivity between producer and consumer regions of natural gas and green energy will ensure energy security. Consumers and businesses will thus have affordable and predictable energy supplies." That is what Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov said to the participants at the Ministerial Meeting of the First Istanbul Energy Forum. The event was organized by Anadolu Agency and the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. It was attended by the President of the Republic of Turkey H. E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Turkey Dr. Alparslan Bayraktar, the Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan Parviz Shahbazov, the Minister of Oil and Gas of Libya Dr. Khalifa Abdulsadek, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Levan Davitashvili, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Péter Szijjártó , the Minister of Mining and Energy of Serbia Dubravka Handanović, the Minister of Energy of Uzbekistan Jurabek Mirzamahmudov, the Minister of Energy of Moldova Victor Parlicov.
Minister Malinov reminded the conference participants that during COP-29, Bulgaria announced an informal document to promote energy connectivity dialogues. “By improving connectivity in the transport of electricity in the corridor from south to north and integrating renewable energy into the system, more affordable energy will also be provided to consumers in the region”, he clarified.
The Bulgarian Energy Minister organized a four-party meeting to discuss his new initiative for a separate energy corridor between Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Bulgaria for the transport of green energy. During the meeting Minister Vladimir Malinov and his counterparts, the Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Dr. Alparslan Bayraktar, the Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and Georgia's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili, insisted that the countries' joint activities would ensure energy security and affordable prices for consumers in the region. During a bilateral meeting, the Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó expressed the Hungarian side's support for Bulgaria's accession to the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Green Corridor, as well as its readiness to join Minister Malinov's initiative for a second corridor.
Within the framework of the Forum, Minister Malinov held a bilateral meeting with the Turkish Energy Minister Dr. Alparslan Bayraktar. They discussed the development of bilateral energy relations between the countries in all areas of mutual interest as a basis for energy security in the region. The focus of the discussion was the increase in electricity and gas connectivity between both countries. Malinov reiterated the issue of renegotiating the agreement between the companies Bulgargaz EAD and BOTAŞ. They agreed that expert talks between the companies continued in a constructive spirit.
