High-ranking government officials, diplomats, representatives from international and regional organisations, senior business executives and energy experts from Greece and Bulgaria but also from other countries in the region attended IENE’s "1st Energy and Geopolitics Roundtable” which was held in Sofia, Bulgaria, on March 19, 2014High-ranking government officials, diplomats, representatives from international and regional organisations, senior business executives and energy experts from Greece and Bulgaria but also from other countries in the region attended IENE’s "1st Energy and Geopolitics Roundtable” which was held in Sofia, Bulgaria, on March 19, 2014. Aiming to highlight the key geopolitical issues related to energy in SE Europe, this Roundtable, which coincided with the Greek Presidency of the Council of European Union, was the first of a series of such meetings to be organized in the different capitals of the region(Sofia, Athens, Ankara, Tel Aviv, Bucharest, Belgrade etc) over the next months.
This latest IENE initiative comes in response to the intense geopolitical changes that are now in evidence in the broader region of SE Europe and the Middle East. The purpose of these roundtable meetings, apart from a general update on latest energy developments, is to examine the geopolitical challenges which arise in view of the new energy parameters but also to discuss the measures that need to be taken in order to ensure economic sustainability and security of energy supply in the region.
The first session of this Roundtable was co-ordinated by H.E. Dr. Petar Poptchev, (Ambassador A. H., Bulgaria), who was the Chairman of this High-Level Meeting. Mr. Costis Stambolis, Deputy Chairman and Executive Director of IENE, in his opening remarks, referred to the main energy projects in SE Europe and their geopolitical implications, while, in his introductory speech, H.E. Mr. Dimosthenis Stoidis, Ambassador of Greece in Bulgaria, underlined the importance of energy co-operation between Greece and Bulgaria. Representing the Ministry of Economy and Energy of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mrs. Veneta Tzvetkova, Head of Energy Markets Department of the Ministry, in her keynote address stressed the challenges and opportunities that stem from major energy projects of Bulgarian interest (e.g. South Stream). Mr. Ognian Zlatev (Representation of the European Commission in Bulgaria) described the key role of the EU in the development of regional energy co-operation, with a special focus on Bulgaria.
Dr. Dimitris Kokkinos, Coordinator of IENE’s Energy Geopolitics Group, gave a thorough and in-depth overview of the geopolitical developments concerning the countries of SE Europe, Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea and their role in connection with the main energy issues and projects currently underway. Form his part, Mr. Rosen Simitchiev, IENE’s Associate Member and Expert at the Projects Management Directorate of the state-owned Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH), said that construction of the Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB Pipeline) is expected to begin in 2015
The latest developments in the energy sector and their impact on regional
policies, and especially in the case of Bulgaria were the subject of the second
session, which was moderated by Mr. Costis Stambolis. Mr. Lubomir Zlatanov (Chief
Expert at Projects Management Directorate, BEH), Mrs. Viktoria Popovska (Head
of Electricity Market Division, National Dispatching Center, TSO), Mr.
Konstantin Delisiskov (Executive Director of the Bulgarian Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers
- BFIEC) contributed with their presentations, each of which described a different
aspect of the prospects and problems of the Bulgaria’s energy sector and its
role for the entire region. Mr. Dimitrios Manolis (Deputy Head, International
Projects, DEPA) referred to the company’s projects of regional interest, i.e. IGB
interconnector, East Med natural gas pipeline and its potential branches to the
Balkans, the expansion of the Revythoussa terminal capacity, as well as DEPA’s
proposed FSRU terminal in South Kavala, now in the planning stage.
A roundtable discussion followed, covering geopolitical issues and energy security considerations, long- term energy planning challenges, as well as the latest developments in the geopolitical sub-system of South Eastern Europe and energy routes. Dr. Lulin Radulov (Manager, Black Sea Energy Research Centre, Sofia, Bulgaria), Mr. Ivan Kolev (Manager, I.G.Kolev EOOD, Sofia, Bulgaria), Mrs. Meglena Russenova (Chairperson, Bulgarian Photovoltaic Association - BPVA) and Mr. Kostas Theofylaktos (Member of the BoD, IENE) participanted in this discussion with well thought-out interventions.
After the concluding remarks and the close of the Roundtable, the organizers hosted a cocktail reception for all participants.
Greece’s Public Gas Corporation – DEPA and the KG Law Firm were the sponsors of this IENE Energy and Geopolitics Roundtable.
