Send to KindleThe second edition of the "Black Sea Energy and Economy Forum" has started in Istanbul with Bulgarian Economy Minister Traicho Traikov among the participants.
The Black Sea forum is an initiative to bring together business leaders and policy-makers to discuss strategies regarding Eurasia, Black Sea, the Caspian and Central Asia.
Traikov is meeting Wednesday with Turkey's Energy Minister, Taner Yildiz, to discuss the future 76-km reversible gas transit pipeline connection between the two countries.
The pipe is supposed to be built in accordance of the requirements of the future EU-sponsored pipeline Nabucco, and even to become the first operational section of Nabucco, in the words of Traikov himself.
The construction of the Bulgaria-Turkey pipeline in question will finally allow Bulgaria to import natural gas from the Caspian region and the Middle East; at present, all of its gas imports come from Russia. It is to be funded with EU money.
The Black Sea Energy and Economy Forum was opened by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan; it is organized by the US Atlantic Council. The Council head Ross Wilson has indicated that Macedonia and Serbia might also be connected with Nabucco in the future.
The key decisions of the forum are expected to be connected with the mechanism for activating the export of gas from Azerbaijan's field Shah Deniz 2, which is supposed to fuel Nabucco after 2016.
Even though Iraq and Afghanistan do not technically belong to the Black Sea Region, they are represented at the Istanbul forum, unlike Iran.
Similarly, Russia is represented in a somewhat low-profile fashion, only with executives of a couple of energy companies, and without any government officials; the Russian-sponsored pipeline South Stream has not been included at all in the forum's agenda.
US Special Ambassador for Eurasian Energy Affairs Richard Morningstar arrived for the Black Sea energy forum from Washington, DC, as did one of the emblematic makers of US foreign policy Zbigniew Brzezinski.
Bulgaria secured three spots in the finals on the opening day of the European Aerobics Championship for juniors and girls, which is taking place in Ganja, Azerbaijan
Former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has described Germany’s misunderstanding of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intentions as one of the greatest failures in the country’s foreign policy
The European Commission has introduced stricter rules on issuing visas to Russian citizens
The Russian Embassy in Sofia has issued a warning that an increasing number of Russian citizens in Bulgaria are falling victim to property-related fraud
Russia currently has the capacity to carry out a limited strike on NATO territory at any time, although whether it will do so depends largely on the stance of Western allies
NATO has regained the upper hand in ammunition production, surpassing Russia after a period during which Moscow outpaced the alliance
Bulgaria cannot legally impose a ban on fuel exports, according to Nikola Yankov, former Deputy Minister of Economy and former Bulgarian representative for Lukoil
The Bulgarian government has tightened security measures around Lukoil’s strategic facilities across the country
Bulgaria could face uncertainty in fuel supplies in the coming months, warned Radoslav Ribarski
Bulgaria’s government is moving quickly to introduce legislation that would allow the appointment of a special state manager to oversee the operations of Lukoil in the country.
Police in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, have uncovered an organized criminal group responsible for siphoning large amounts of fuel from a Lukoil pipeline located south of the city.
The European Commission has urged Bulgaria to move faster on expanding the capacity of the Chiren gas storage facility
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