09.06.2020
Prime Minister Boyko Borissov had a telephone conversation with the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. Prime Minister Borissov put an emphasis on the significant deepening of beneficial cooperation between Bulgaria and the United States, especially after his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in November 2019 and the Bulgaria-U.S. Strategic Dialogue held in Sofia earlier this year. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that as allies and strategic partners, Bulgaria and the United States will continue to build on their cooperation, both on a broad bilateral basis and within NATO and the EU-U.S. cooperation.
Prime Minister Borissov drew attention to trade and economic ties and the importance of U.S. investors for Bulgaria. The Prime Minister welcomed the growing initiative of the U.S. side to develop business contacts with Bulgarian companies. Borissov pointed out that the United States is among Bulgaria's leading foreign trade partners. The Prime Minister added that he was further convinced of the potential of bilateral relations after his meeting in November in Washington with representatives of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is the most influential organization of U.S. business with more than 300,000 member companies in the United States.
The Prime Minister Boyko Borissov also emphasized on the cooperation in the energy sphere. Borissov was certain that the leading priority for the Bulgarian government is the diversification of sources and routes for natural gas supply. The Prime Minister reminded that in 2019 for the first time Bulgaria supplied the Bulgarian market with liquefied natural gas - a total of 500 million cubic meters, including supplies from the United States at competitive prices.
Prime Minister Borissov noted the progress in the construction of the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector, which will provide an opportunity for the entire region to receive alternative supplies of natural gas from various sources, including the Caspian region. Borissov pointed out that at the moment the construction is going at an accelerated pace, as the cleared route on Bulgarian territory is over 50 km, and on Greek - over 15 km. It is expected that in two weeks the Greek company AVACS will bring to Bulgaria an automatic welding machine, which will significantly increase the speed of construction of the interconnector. The production and delivery of pipes is also carried out rhythmically and over 70 km. of the pipes are delivered and stored in three bases in Bulgaria.
Prime Minister Boyko Borissov pointed out that the project for construction of the liquefied gas terminal near Alexandroupolis is in full synergy with the interconnector. The Prime Minister reminded that at the beginning of this year Bulgartransgaz EAD signed a preliminary contract for the purchase of a 20% share in the project company that will build the terminal. Borissov pointed out that in this way our country has a real participation in the implementation of the project and a contribution to the possibility of liquefied natural gas to be supplied from various sources, including the United States, Qatar, Israel and others. According to the Prime Minister, the importance of the project is also indicated by the fact that Bulgargaz has already reserved quantities of natural gas for a period of ten years.
During the conversation, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov noted the challenges facing the world due to the crisis caused by COVID-19. The Prime Minister emphasized the timely measures that our country has taken in the fight against the infection. Borissov also thanked for the full U.S. support in favor of Bulgaria's efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19. He also expressed confidence that the close cooperation for dealing with the pandemic and for the recovery of the economies would generate a new stimulus for the strategic dialogue between Bulgaria and the United States.
