The Interim Energy Minister of Bulgaria, Vladimir Malinov, and the US Ambassador, Kenneth Merten, said that the excellent cooperation between Bulgaria and the US is a guarantee for energy security in the region, informs BTA.

Malinov and Merten emphasized the crucial importance of delivering the first quantities of nuclear fuel produced by the American company Westinghouse to the Kozlodui plant. The Bulgarian minister said that the joint efforts of both parties gave excellent results in reducing Bulgaria’s dependence on a single supplier and enabled long-term diversification for the Bulgarian nuclear power plant, according to Agerpres.

The progress recorded in the construction of units 7 and 8 at the Kozlodui power plant was also on the agenda of the discussions.

Malinov also said that the modernization of existing infrastructure and regional interconnections, as well as the commissioning of the liquefied gas terminal in Alexandroupolis, are crucial for achieving the objectives of the single European energy market. The implementation of the vertical corridor to transport additional quantities of gas from the south to the north, through the gas transport networks of Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, will contribute to ensuring energy security at the level of the entire region. The Bulgarian official added that the region will continue to rely on liquefied gas supplies from American companies.

Discussions also focused on bilateral cooperation in the field of small modular reactors and energy storage solutions to ensure the security of Bulgaria and the regional electricity system.