According to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), which will transit Azerbaijani gas, significantly boosts the common European aim of energy independence. "Today is a crucial day for Greece and Bulgaria, as well as for the entire Balkan region and all of Europe. Because we will not just open a gas pipeline; we will also build an energy bridge connecting the South and the North, bringing Greece and Bulgaria closer together,” he said.
In addition to maintaining its energy independence, Mitsotakis said that Greece is becoming a major energy supplier for all of Europe. "The pipeline will be connected to the TAP and supply the facilities in Alexandroupoli,” the Prime Minister added.
The IGB will enable gas transportation and supply from new sources, which makes it an essential element of Bulgaria's energy security and part of the national plan to diversify gas sources. The pipeline's capacity will be three billion cubic meters of gas, possibly increasing it to five billion cubic meters. Half of the interconnector's capacity has already been reserved.
Earlier, Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said at the opening ceremony of the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector (IGB): "Azerbaijan is a stable and strategic source of diversified gas supply for European countries, including Bulgaria and Greece, and a reliable partner. Over a year, Azerbaijan supplied 13.5 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe. 1.4 billion cubic meters went to Greece and 440 million to Bulgaria. Gas export to Bulgaria, which was 160 million cubic meters in the first six months, is planned to reach 600 million cubic meters by the end of the year. From July 1, a full volume of 2.6 million cubic meters of gas is exported to Bulgaria daily, which means an increase in daily supply by 1.7 million cubic meters."
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