Greece wants joint energy projects with Bulgaria

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SOFIA, Bulgaria, July 5 (UPI) -- Greek President Karolos Papoulias wants to establish joint energy projects with Bulgaria.

Papoulias discussed the potential for energy cooperation with visiting Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev during his two-day official state visit to Athens.

Papoulias is especially interesting in accelerating construction of the Bulgarian-Greek gas interconnection, a pipeline designed to link the natural gas supply systems of the two nations.

During a joint news conference with Plevneliev, Papoulias said: "Greece believes it is extremely important to encourage the Bulgarian-Greek cooperation in all large-scale energy projects. We have agreed that our future and that of our neighbors, especially in the Western Balkans, lies with the European Union. Further strengthening and encouragement of our cooperation with friendly Bulgaria is important. The spirit of solidarity and understanding that underlies the relations between our two nations, especially in a time of crisis, is an example of cooperation between friendly and neighboring countries," Novinte news agency reported Wednesday.

Plevneliev remarked, "The gas interconnection between Bulgaria and Greece is of major importance for Bulgaria's energy diversification since at present we are dependent on the supplies of natural gas via Ukraine."