Ex-President: Bulgaria exploring new beneficial projects with Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan and Bulgaria plan to implement projects that will benefit both countries, Former President of Bulgaria, Rosen Plevneliev, told Report.

"Now we are more ambitious, we want to do more work. We are planning new mutually beneficial projects for Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, and the peoples of both nations. I am very glad that the relations between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan are based on strategic partnership," the former president noted.

He added that Bulgaria's state company Bulgargaz EAD has signed a contract with the Shah Deniz consortium for the supply of 1 billion cubic meters of gas from the Shah Deniz-2 field: "The transportation of blue fuel to Bulgaria is carried out through the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector (IGB), which is connected to the Trans-Adriatic Gas Pipeline (TAP). In addition, Bulgaria participates in the joint venture to be established on the Caspian-Black Sea-Europe Green Energy Corridor."

Plevneliev further highlighted that Azerbaijan and Bulgaria cooperate within the framework of the Middle Corridor, which provides cargo transportation from Europe to China: "Bulgaria is currently modernizing its railway network. Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Bulgaria are investing in faster cargo transportation in the Middle Corridor. Thus, these are very important projects and we are set to complete them, cooperate, and of course, benefit from them. In the medium term, we will see more investments in the corridor from European Union companies and Bulgarian companies."

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, connects China, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, and Europe.

In 2024, the volume of cargo transportation along the Middle Corridor increased by 62% to 4.5 million tons. As a result of the measures taken within the framework of the development of the route, its transmission capacity is expected to reach 10 million tons by 2027.