WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Bulgaria can serve as an important energy bridge for members of the European Union, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov said.
Bulgaria's decision in August to back away from the South Stream natural gas pipeline, envisioned by Russian energy company Gazprom, led in part to a derailment of the project. This week, the country's prime minister told European leaders Bulgaria could become a common gas distribution center for EU member states in the region.
Meeting in Washington, the Bulgarian foreign minister told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry energy security for Europe was a top concern for the government in Sofia.
"Our common goal is to attract investments to guarantee supply and distribution, as well as to build interconnectivity with neighboring countries," he said Thursday.
South Stream was meant to avoid geopolitically sensitive territory in Ukraine. Russia meets about a quarter of Europe's gas needs, though the bulk of those supplies run through the Soviet-era transit network in Ukraine, where ongoing skirmishes and economic concerns present durable risks.
Bulgaria suspended its role in the pipeline last year, arguing it violated legal requirements in the European Commission that restrict the role of gas suppliers from distribution projects like South Stream.
For Kerry, energy in the European community is "a very important economic and security priority" for the U.S. government.
Gazprom last month bought out its partners at Italian energy company Eni, French major EDF and Germany's Wintershall to take full control over the venture overseeing South Stream development.
Russian officials in mid-December confirmed the project was no longer viable as envisioned in 2007. Instead, Gazprom Deputy Chief Executive Officer Alexander Medvedev said a project dubbed Turkish Stream may take its place in the Black Sea.
