SOFIA (AFP) – Bulgarian President Georgy Parvanov and Qatar’s Emir on Tuesday discussed the construction of a liquefied gas terminal to ease Europe’s dependence on Russian gas, Parvanov’s office said in a statement.
The two leaders and their delegations talked over “the possibilities of building a terminal for liquefied natural gas to serve not only Bulgaria but other European states,” the press office said, without providing any details.
Boosting economic ties, especially in the energy, infrastructure, construction, transport and tourism sectors was a key topic in the discussions, during the visit to Bulgaria by Qatar’s Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.
The two parties also sealed an agreement for “economic and technical cooperation” between Sofia and Doha.
The Qatari delegation meanwhile confirmed its participation at the Natural Gas for Europe summit in Sofia on April 24-25, Bulgaria’s Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov told AFP on the sidelines of the talks.
The international forum will group gas suppliers from the Caspian region, Central Asia and the Middle East, with consumers from the European Union.
Bulgaria, which is nearly 100-percent dependent on Russian gas supplies via Ukraine, was hard hit by a price row between the two in January that disrupted deliveries.
The government has since suggested building a terminal for liquefied natural gas on Greece’s Aegean coast, to allow it to import gas from countries other than Russia.
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat is the world’s premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, printed simultaneously each day on four continents in 14 cities. Launched in London in 1978, Asharq Al-Awsat has established itself as the decisive publication on pan-Arab and international affairs, offering its readers in-depth analysis and exclusive editorials, as well as the most comprehensive coverage of the entire Arab world.
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