Romanian & Bulgarian media widely covered President Ilham Aliyev's visit to Serbia

By Asim Aliyev

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev visited Serbia on a business visit. He had several meetings. These meetings were at the center of attention of Romanian and Bulgarian media, Azernews reports.

Romanian and Bulgarian media widely covered President Ilham Aliyev's comments at the opening ceremony of the Serbia-Bulgaria gas pipeline.

Romania's national news agencies AGERPRES, Adevarul, Digi 24, Bulgaria's national news agency BTA, and news portals Cross.bg, Shum.bg, 24 hours, news.bg, plovdiv24.bg, pronews.bg, Vesti TV channel disseminated materials on the visit. It was noted that President Ilham Aliyev described the ceremony as a proof of friendship and strategic partnership, and emphasized that the gas pipeline will contribute to ensuring the energy security of Serbia and Bulgaria, as well as Europe. It is informed that the gas pipeline provides transit of natural gas from Azerbaijan and the Caspian region to the countries of Central Europe. Thanks to the interconnector, Serbia will start supplying natural gas from Azerbaijan. The article says that the utilization of the pipeline will ensure Serbia's energy security and provide additional capacity for supplies to Eastern and Central European countries. The commissioning of the interconnector is of strategic importance both for Serbia and the European Union. It is reported that within the framework of the agreement signed by the Serbian side with Bulgartransgaz, from next year to 2026, up to 400 million cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan will be supplied to this country. After 2027, this volume may increase up to three times.

Bulgaria's National News Agency BTA, pronews.bg, Vestnikstroitel.bg, news portals 24 chasa.bg, BNT TV channel and other media reported on the one-on-one meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev. At the meeting, satisfaction was expressed with the development of friendship and strategic partnership relations between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria in various fields. The opening of the Serbia-Bulgaria gas pipeline was emphasized. Discussions were organized on all important topics of bilateral and economic relations between the countries of mutual interest. Talking of the importance of the Ring of Solidarity initiative, the leaders of the two countries once again emphasized the significance of this project in terms of expanding energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union and Azerbaijan's contribution to ensuring gas supplies to Europe.

It is worth mentioning that the construction of the new 109-kilometer-long gas pipeline between the Serbian cities of Nis and Dimitrovgrad took one year. The total length of the Serbia-Bulgaria interconnector is 170 kilometers and continues to Novi Iskar near Sofia.