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Rosen Plevneliev: Liberalization and Connectivity in the Energy Sector Will Make Bulgaria a Regional Leader in the Balkans

Bulgaria is a leading regional player in the Balkans and does its best to help its neighbors on their way to EU integration. This is what President Rosen Plevneliev said at a working meeting with Miguel Arias Canete, EU Commissioner for Energy and Climate Action, who is visiting Bulgaria.

At the meeting the President emphasized that Bulgaria will continue working to ensure energy diversification, liberalization and also the connectivity of the energy markets of the countries in the region.

“Although we are located in an extremely important region, we lack a sufficiently good and connected energy market. We must undertake decisive steps to create an energy network with normal market conditions and overcome the fragmentation in the sector in the EU,” the President said.

The liberalization in the energy sector has become a priority for Bulgaria and we have achieved progress in this process, Rosen Plevneliev was adamant.

“Bulgaria is the European Commission’s reliable partner in the energy sector, has a key geographical location and will play a decisive role in ensuring the connectivity of the energy networks,” EU Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete said and added that the European Commission is ready to assist the modernization, transformation and transparency of the energy sector in Bulgaria and in the region.

“The European countries are willing to cooperate, and the European citizens would like to have security of the supplies and fair prices of energy ensured,” President Rosen Plevneliev further said. The Head of State was adamant that the lack of competitive prices in the energy sector is the major hindrance to overcoming the inequalities in the EU and to raising the standard of living of the countries in the region.

President Plevneliev and Commissioner Canete also exchanged opinions on issues on the international agenda. The Head of State said that Bulgaria is a responsible and predictable partner, which defends the European values and contributes to sthe establishment of the European agenda.

“Bulgaria firmly supports the European idea. We will not succumb to populism and nationalism and we will not be misled by short-term interests,” Rosen Plevneliev was adamant and highlighted our country’s contribution to the common efforts to cope with the refugee crisis and to the protection of the external EU border.