The liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at Alexandroupolis, of which Bulgaria is co-shareholder, is already contributing to competitiveness in Greece and Bulgaria, but also in the entire region, said caretaker Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov after the REPowerEU Diversification Workshoporganized by the European Commission in Athens.  

The event was also attended by US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt, Greece’s Minister of Energy Theodoros Skylakakis, Matthew Baldwin, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Energy Mykola Kolisnyk etc.

“Diversification is the freedom to have the right to choose out of several options. And that is of paramount significance for the sustainable development of the energy sector,” Minister Malinov said, addressing the participants. “This infrastructure is already contributing to competitiveness in Greece and Bulgaria, but also in the entire region. I do believe it is going to be instrumental in the future stabilization of Ukraine.”

In Athens, Vladimir Malinov had talks with his Greek counterpart Theodoros Skylakakis to discuss the high prices of electric energy in Southeastern Europe and the steps for tackling this problem. Greece, Bulgaria and Romania launched a common initiative for creating a permanent mechanism for intervention in the event of excessive energy prices, the Bulgarian news agency BTA reports.