T.Petkova: Our efforts are to make Bulgaria independent in gas supplies

Sofia, May 6 - Neftegaz.RU. The topic of LNG is important for Bulgaria and the region. Our country is still dependent on a gas supplier and so our efforts are for Bulgaria to become independent in terms of supply, said Temenujka Petkova.

She participated in the International Forum "Unlocking the Business Potential of Eastern European Gas Markets - Competition, Alternatives, Markets, Projects, Security through Diversification." The organizers are the Institute for Energy Research in Washington and the Center for Balkan and Black Sea Studies.

The most important is the interconnector project between Bulgaria and Greece, which will provide security throughout the region, Petkova pointed out, adding that the government has the will to build a liberalized market. The countries in the region have failed to build a supply infrastructure on different routes, but now this problem can be solved and the region will go in another direction, Petkova noted.

Another important project is the relationship between Bulgaria and Serbia, which should be a fact in a few years. After realizing these and other projects, Bulgaria will become a center of streams from both the north and the south, Petkova said. By the end of the year a platform for trade in natural gas is expected to work.

In the past year, Turkey has reduced its Russian gas imports by about 60 % and today there are 6 new liquefied gas terminals to be built, said Alex Alexiev of the Center for Black Sea Studies. "In our region, there has been significant development in terms of LNG. The new terminal in Alexandroupolis will give us access to liquefied gas", Aleksiev said.