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President Radev: Energy Cooperation between Bulgaria and Turkiye Is Crucial for Diversification of Sources for Europe

The head of State met with the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkiye, Fatih Donmez

Bulgaria and Turkiye share a common responsibility to achieve diversification of energy supplies not only for our two countries, but also for the region and Europe. The agreement signed today on Bulgaria's access to Turkiye's gas transmission system and terminals is a step forward towards enhancing energy security and an expression of good neighbourliness and trust, President Rumen Radev said during a meeting with the visiting Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkiye, Fatih Donmez. Vice President Iliana Iotova also took part in the talks.
 
Minister Donmez's visit is in continuation of the subsequent deepening of bilateral relations in the energy sector agreed between Bulgarian head of State Rumen Radev and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The two presidents met on 9 December last year.

Radev noted that only three weeks after his visit to Istanbul, thanks to the common political will with President Erdogan, today's signing of an agreement on access to the terminals and the gas transmission network of the Turkish state energy company took place. He highlighted the intense work of the energy ministries of the two countries to finalise the document. This agreement is historic for our countries because for the first time a foreign company is given the opportunity to access Turkiye's gas transmission system and liquefied natural gas terminals, the President said, highlighting the new prospects for cooperation that the document provides.

The meeting also highlighted the importance of uniting the efforts of Bulgaria and Turkiye to introduce new technologies, renewable energy sources, production of green energy and joint transmission of energy resources to Europe. Improving the connectivity of the power grids of the two countries was also a topic of discussion.

The head of State noted the importance of the Solidarity ring (STRING) project, which is an initiative of Bulgaria. It brings together joint efforts to transport additional quantities of natural gas to Europe from alternative sources such as the Southern Gas Corridor, including Azerbaijan and Turkiye, and which can be implemented with minimal resources. Turkiye's gas transmission system has a key role to play in the implementation of this project, which is extremely important for the EU, the President said.

Minister Fatih Donmez said that in today's conditions of global crises it is impossible for countries to overcome difficulties on their own. I believe that this cooperation between Bulgaria and Turkiye will be an example for the countries of the region, he added.