Energy Minister Malinov meets with his Turkish counterpart Bayraktar in Istanbul
The preparation of a Memorandum of Understanding between the governments of Bulgaria and Turkey in the field of energy dominated the agenda of a meeting between Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov and his Turkish counterpart Alparlslan Bayraktar in Istanbul, Malinov's ministry said on Wednesday.
The purpose of the document is to create a framework for cooperation in the field of energy between Bulgaria and Turkey and to facilitate the exchange of technical knowledge, consultations, skills and experience in accordance with the national legislation of the countries. The project emphasizes electricity and gas connectivity along with renewable energy and energy efficiency as key areas of energy cooperation between the countries. The development of new electricity connection projects and the improvement of cross-border capacities, as well as the encouragement of private investors to implement such projects, are among the main measures for deepening the interconnections defined in the project. The two ministers agreed that the signing of the memorandum will help develop linkages that support energy security in the region. At the invitation of Minister Malinov, the document will be signed in Sofia.
At the request of the Turkish side, Ministers Malinov and Bayraktar discussed the possibility of Bulgaria providing additional water for the irrigation of the region around Edirne due to prolonged drought and unfavorable weather conditions. In response, Minister Malinov expressed Sofia's willingness to host a meeting between delegations from both countries to discuss technical parameters.
Minister Malinov once again raised with his Turkish counterpart the issue of renegotiation of the agreement between Bulgargaz EAD and the Turkish energy company BOTAS. Active negotiations on this topic will continue and BOTAS representatives are scheduled to visit Bulgaria on August 15.
On April 19, 2024, the National Assembly instructed the Minister of Energy to take the necessary actions to renegotiate the agreement between Bulgargaz EAD and BOTAS./BTA/
