Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov is pleased with the results of negotiations with the Azerbaijani leadership.
"The negotiations were very active and businesslike. I'm pleased with
the results. They show the already established tradition of relations
between me and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and these relations
are friendly, as well as businesslike," Mr.Parvanov said in an interview
with Trend in Baku.
President Parvanov paid an official visit to Azerbaijan on Nov.14-15.
One of the topics of the negotiations between the parties was the
Azerbaijani gas supplies to Bulgaria.
"The agenda of our meetings are always very extensive. We begin the
discussion with the need to intensify economic relations between our
countries, increasing the goods turnover, in which the trend is very
positive," Mr. Parvanov said.
He believes the palette of goods traded between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria
should be expanded, as well as the issue of expanding investment plans
of Bulgaria in Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijan in Bulgaria should also be
seriously considered.
Political cooperation
President Parvanov said an intensive dialogue has been held in recent
years at the level of Heads of State, parliaments and the executive
authorities of the two countries.
Bulgaria, he said, can play an active role in defending and protecting
the interests of Azerbaijan in the European Union structures. Because,
the country plays an important role in these structures and is very
familiar with the peculiarities of the region.
"Theretofore, yesterday I suggested a radical idea so that the European
Union considered providing the status of a privileged partnership to
Azerbaijan and other countries like Azerbaijan. Because, we should see
the future and develop the dialogue based on mutual respect," Parvanov
said.
President Parvanov named the cooperation within NATO as another
important issue. "The countries of NATO, EU, Azerbaijan and the entire
region faced the same challenges that must be overcome by joint efforts.
It is therefore important cooperation between NATO and Azerbaijan to
create those opportunities that would help to overcome not only
military, but also all the other challenges facing the region," he said.
Azerbaijani gas supplies to Europe
The energy topic has always been a key issue in the
Bulgarian-Azerbaijani talks, Mr. Parvanov said. This is a
diversification of bilateral ties and the gas and oil supply to Bulgaria
and other European Union countries, including southern Europe.
"The gas supply volumes, firstly, depend on the needs of the Bulgarian
economy, and secondly, the possibility of expanding its exports to other
European countries. It is important to specify all the parameters of
these supplies, but this should be done by the experts at their working
meetings," he said.
He said it is also very important that the State Oil Company of the
Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) has entered the Bulgarian market and
participated in construction of interconnector of Bulgaria to other
European countries. "SOCAR could also acquire part of the gas
transmission network in Bulgaria, which would give stability to our
relations and supply," Mr. Parvanov said.
Speaking about Azerbaijan's role in ensuring the energy security of
Europe, the Bulgarian President pointed out the political will of
President Ilham Aliyev and the Azerbaijani government in conducting
dialogue and decision making in this matter. He expressed confidence
that an active dialogue with the European institutions will bring
fruits.
"I believe Azerbaijan can and should play a key role in the development
of the so-called Southern Gas Corridor," Mr. Parvanov said. On the one
hand, Azerbaijan has a very significant natural gas reserves, on the
other hand, it is a very important element of the general transportation
route of this energy source. Therefore, Azerbaijan should play a more
important role in the negotiations," he said.
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Bulgaria seeks to assist and support efforts to resolve the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Georgi
Parvanov said.
"Bulgaria supports the activities of mediation groups to achieve a just
and lasting solution to this problem of the Azerbaijani people. The
European Union is also involved in it and actively acts in the conflict
settlement process," he said.
/Trend/