Sofia launches two-day energy summit

SOFIA, Bulgaria, April 24 (UPI) -- Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov kicked off a two-day seminar Friday in Sofia on energy security and cooperation in the European natural gas sector.

The two-day forum, "Natural Gas for Europe: Security and Partnership," will feature officials from energy-rich Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, as well as Ukraine and members of the European Commission.

On the aspect of cooperation, Sofia will discuss policies that would go toward energy security and vital natural gas projects in southern Europe while stressing the need to exercise the political will to move forward with a common goal, the Bulgarian News Agency reports.

Panelists are expected to focus on the development of the $10.7 billion Nabucco pipeline from Caspian and Middle Eastern suppliers to carry natural gas some 2,000 miles to European markets.

Europe sees Nabucco as a near panacea to its energy-security needs as the planned route and supplier base avoid politically sensitive Russia and Ukraine.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is expected to boycott the Sofia summit over Nabucco, saying that project would harm Moscow's relationship with Europe.

Sofia, for its part, is expected to raise the South Stream natural gas pipeline as well. South Stream would bring an estimated 1.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas from Central Asia and Russia to Italy through the Balkans.

"The goal of the summit is to shape a new European energy policy," Purvanov said.