Bulgaria and the United States of America will work to deepen cooperation in the energy sector. This was the focus of the conversation between the Minister of Energy Zhecho Stankov and Laura Lochman, acting Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources of the USA. At a meeting in the capital Washington, the two discussed various opportunities for cooperation, and issues of common interest to both countries were touched upon.
Minister Stankov emphasized the Vertical Gas Corridor initiative as an opportunity to ensure diverse and sustainable supplies of natural gas for Eastern, Southeastern and Central Europe. He emphasized the progress in the implementation of the project, which is aimed at providing additional quantities of natural gas from various reliable sources for the markets in the region. “We expect to receive the construction permit for the Kulata - Kresna section of the project by the end of this month, and shortly after that we plan to break ground”, he announced.
Minister Stankov and Mrs. Lohman also discussed the supplies of liquefied natural gas from the USA through the terminals in Alexandroupolis and in neighboring countries to Bulgaria, as an opportunity for it to reach the heart of Europe. In this regard, Minister Stankov emphasized the strategic location of our country, as well as the well-developed national gas infrastructure.
The active cooperation between Bulgaria and the USA in the field of nuclear energy was also commented on during the meeting. “The construction of units 7 and 8 of the “Kozloduy“ NPP is a priority project for the Bulgarian government”, emphasized Zhecho Stankov. The Secretary of Energy and the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources of the United States discussed the possibilities for accelerating the process of implementing the project and emphasized its strategic importance for Bulgaria and the region of Southeast Europe.