Eurasia Press & News
Bulgaria and Turkey will sign a political agreement to build a cross-border gas pipeline, thus declaring the strategic importance of this project to both states, Bulgaria’s Energy Ministry said on November 19 2011.
The move was agreed at a meeting of Bulgaria’s Energy Minister Traicho Traikov and his Turkish counterpart Taner Yildiz in Istanbul during the Black Sea Energy and Economic Forum.
Traikov and Yildiz discussed the results of the work of an expert group, which is assessing the technical and commercial aspects of gas deliveries through Turkey to Bulgaria.
The gas inter-connector linking the two countries, together with the pipeline connecting Bulgaria with Greece, will guarantee supplies of Caspian natural gas to the country and the region, as well as cheaper deliveries by using a terminal for liquefied natural gas.
The scheme will provide for diversifying suppliers and routes, competition between suppliers and lower prices for gas deliveries to Bulgaria, Traikov said.
The 77km pipeline linking Bulgaria and Turkey will have the capacity to transport between one and three billion cu m of gas a year, with an option to double it.
