- Title: BULGARIA: Azerbaijan signs deal to supply gas to Bulgaria
- Date: 16th November 2009
- Summary: SOFIA, BULGARIA (FILE - JANUARY 9, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MAN WALKING IN HEAVY SNOW VARIOUS OF EXTERIORS OF APARTMENT BUILDINGS VARIOUS OF RADIATOR HAND TURNING RADIATOR UP THERMOSTAT
- Embargoed: 1st December 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Bulgaria
- Country: Bulgaria
- Topics: International Relations,Energy
- Reuters ID: LVA1BK4FS9PEZBG7QISDM7RK9S9E
- Story Text: Bulgaria hopes to reduce its dependence on Russian gas after signing an agreement that could see Azeri gas exported to the Balkan country.
Azerbaijan and Bulgaria signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday (November 13) to export Azeri gas to the Balkan country, which aims to reduce its near full dependence on Russian gas.
Bulgaria says that under the deal, Sofia and Baku will also study the option of bringing compressed Azeri gas by tankers to Black Sea ports, with Bulgaria receiving up to 1 billion cubic metres of Azeri gas per year. No time frame was given.
"Today we signed important agreements which create new opportunities for diversification of supply of natural gas, not only to Bulgaria, but to southeast Europe, too," Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov said during a joint news conference with Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev.
Bulgaria does not have tankers and still needs to build a pipeline link to neighbouring Greece to receive Azeri gas through the ITGI pipeline between Turkey, Greece and Italy.
"When we supply gas to Bulgaria we actually supply gas to the European Union and we hope this partnership will continue and develop further," Aliyev said.
"Azerbaijan has large supplies of gas...and wants to export the gas through better, secure routes," he added.
In July, Sofia signed an agreement with Greek natural gas monopoly DEPA and Italian Edison SpA to link its gas network to the Greek-Italian stretch of the ITGI pipeline that will allow it to import Azeri gas.
DEPA and Edison are building the Greek-Italian section of the ITGI pipeline, which according to officials is likely to be ready in 2012-2015.
The gas dispute between Russia and transit country Ukraine in January cut off supplies to Europe, leaving thousands of Bulgarians without heating in the depths of the winter and forced dozens of factories to shut down.
The poorest EU nation, Bulgaria and a number of other fellow ex-communist east European states are almost totally dependent on Russian gas and have no access to alternative import routes.
The gas crisis exposed eastern Europe's vulnerability and the urgent need to tackle long-neglected problems, such as the lack of links between countries' gas networks. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None