Bulgarian Energy Minister Briefs EC Vice President on Progress in Work for Gas Interconnectors

The Hague/Sofia, May 21 (BTA) - Bulgarian Energy Minister
Temenouzhka Petkova met Thursday here with European Commission
Vice President Maros Sefcovic in charge of the Energy Union and
briefed him on the progress in the work for the gas
interconnectors between Bulgaria and neighbouring countries,
Petkova's Ministry said in a press release. The meeting between
the two took place during the Ministerial Conference on a new
International Energy Charter held at the Hague.

Sefcovic welcomed the progress made by the Bulgarian government
in the projects for the gas interconnectors. It also emerged at
the meeting that an opinion is about to be received vis-a-vis
the technical and legal study of the project to build a gas hub
on the territory of Bulgaria.

Petkova recalled the agreements reached in Sofia at the end of
April with the shareholders in the joint project company ICGB
for the interconnector with Greece about the budget. She said
procedures have been opened for compulsory purchase of land
along the route of the gas interconnector with Greece. Petkova
said that a grant made available by the EC for the project has
had a key importance in its implementation since it averted the
risk of delays.

Commenting the gas interconnector with Romania, Petkova said
that a public procurement procedure for the selection of a
contractor for the section under the Danube has reached its
final stage and a winner is expected to be chosen within two
weeks. The aim is to work during the summer and complete the
interconnector by the end of 2015, she said.

Progress is also reported in the work for the interconnector
with Turkey. The Bulgarian gas transit operator Bulgartransgas
has received 190,000 euro in financial support from the
Connecting Europe Facility for the conduct of a project
feasibility study. The relevant procedure has been started in
time and a contractor is expected to be chosen.

A procedure for the selection of a consultant for the
interconnector with Serbia was started on May 13, Petkova said.