Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov on Thursday discussed Eastring, a new Slovak proposal for diversifying gas supply infrastructure in Europe, with Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Mitov arrived on an official visit to Slovakia on Thursday at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak.
The Slovak proposal is opening opportunities for gas supplies to Bulgaria from Northern and Western Europe.
In addition, Eastring could be connected to a potential gas hub in Turkey, enabling supplies from the Caspian basin, Iraq, Iran, and the Eastern Mediterranean via Bulgaria’s southern neighbour - if and when the Turkish Stream project is implemented, the Foreign Ministry in Sofia said in a statement.
Talks on the Slovak proposal will continue at the expert level in Bulgaria on Friday.
During his meeting with Miroslav Lajcak Daniel Mitov said Bulgaria is ready to set up a gas hub in Varna and take part in the implementation of the EU’s strategic energy initiatives such as the construction of a Southern Gas Corridor, providing access to liquefied natural gas, building interconnectors along the North-South axis, and the Vertical Gas Corridor initiative for reverse-flow transit in Central and Eastern Europe.