Ambassador: Azerbaijan important and strategic partner for Bulgaria

Baku. 7 November. REPORT.AZ/ Maya Hristova, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Republic of Azerbaijan, has received the delegation of Caspian Energy chaired by President and Editor-in-Chief of Caspian Energy International Media Group Natalya Aliyeva.

Report informs referring to the Caspian European Club, Ambassador Maya Hristova highlighted the importance of developing the information cooperation within the framework of the Caspian European Club and Caspian Energy. “Our relations with Azerbaijan are very deep and traditionally good. We are developing the cooperation in economy, energy, cultural and humanitarian fields”, Maya Hristova said. She expressed gratitude to President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva for the support in restoration of the old city of Veliko Tyrnovo. “We highly appreciate that. It is very difficult to put our feelings into words. That was done heartily. I would like to convey the great admiration of the Bulgarian people to the people of Azerbaijan and personally to Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva”.

Speaking about the possibilities of cooperation with the Caspian littoral states, Maya Hristova stressed: “Within the energy sector our two countries have strategic partnership. Bulgaria is very satisfied with the strong support of Azerbaijan in the negotiations with the Shah Deniz consortium, which has assisted for the formation of long-term contract for natural gas supply to Bulgaria from the second stage of the gas field “Shah Deniz” (SD) from 2020 in a volume of 1 billion cubic meters / year”, the Ambassador said.

She reminded that the Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation in the field of energy between the Ministries of Energy of both countries was signed on November 13^th 2009 in Sofia, and a bit earlier the MoU between SOCAR and the Bulgarian Energy Holding, and MoU between SOCAR and Bulgartransgaz.

“The important and successful instrument for development of the energy cooperation between the two countries is also the Joint Gas and Oil Working Group between the Bulgarian and the Azerbaijani sides, represented by the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy and the Bulgarian Energy Holding and the Azerbaijani SOCAR”, she continued.

Maya Hristova highlighted the significantly dynamic political and economic cooperation between Bulgaria and Turkmenistan. “It could be noted with satisfaction that during the period 2015-2016 both countries have exchanged important governmental visits, which have contributed for the support of the regular dialogue and the opening of new areas of cooperation”.

As far as the creation of the Bulgarian gas hub is concerned, the Ambassador stressed: “The hub’s establishing suggests many gas sources, including supplies from Russia, interconnector from Greece and other energy terminals, which could be connected to this hub”.

The Ambassador highlighted the successful operation of the intergovernmental commission between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria. Over 60 bilateral agreements had been signed between the two sides, she stressed.

At the end of the meeting the Ambassador gave the exclusive interview to Caspian Energy. During the interview she spoke about the possibility of developing the bilateral relations and boosting economic and investment cooperation, touched on the prospects of the energy market development and also focused on the development of the tourism sector and energy cooperation.