Diversification of sources and routes of natural gas supply is among the
top priorities of Bulgaria’s government, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov
has said at a meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos
Kotzias.Therefore, the construction of gas interconnectors with
neighbouring countries and Greece in particular is of key importance for
Bulgaria,Borisov has said, referring to the pipeline that would link
the gas transmission systems of the two southeast European neighbours.
"This is a strategically important project not only for Bulgaria and
Greece but for the whole region of southeastern Europe," Borisov said
atMonday’s meeting with Kotzias, according to a statement from the
government press office in Sofia. Nikos Kotzias is in Bulgaria for a
meeting of the foreign ministers of the countries of the South-East
European Cooperation Process (SEECP).
The increased state guarantee – from EUR 80 M in 2015 to EUR 110 M
inthis year’s budget – clearly indicates the strong commitment of
Bulgaria’sgovernment to the project, Borisov said. He also highlighted
the Greek government’s efforts to create all conditions for
theimplementation of the gas interconnection project.The Interconnector
Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) is expected to enter intocommercial operation in
the middle of 2018. Bulgaria and Greece signedthe final investment
decision for the project in late 2015.
The interconnector will give Bulgaria access to the future Southern Gas
Corridor and reduce the country’s almost total dependence on Russian
gassupplies via a single pipeline crossing Ukraine.
Borisov said that the second phase of the market test project for
submission of binding bids for IGB capacity is expected to be launched
next month.
In the first phase, which closed last month, nine companies placed
offers for booking a total of 4.3 billion cubic meters of gas per yearof
the capacity of the interconnector.Borissov and Kotzias also discussed
the measures which the governments in Sofia and Athens had taken to curb
migrant influx into Europe, aswell as the common problems that both
countries face in protection the European Union’s external borders.
Borisov and Kotzias estimated as successful the cooperation between the
law enforcement authorities of Bulgaria and Greece in tackling the
migration flow. They also pointed to the positive impact of the
agreement for police and customs cooperation between Bulgaria, Greece
and Turkey signed earlier this month.
Thanks to these joint efforts migration pressure on the common borderhas
decreased significantly, Borisov noted at the meeting with
Kotzias,according to the statement.Borisov added that the rapid
readmission of irregular migrants detained at Bulgaria’s border with
Greece last week was an example of successful bilateral cooperation.