Bulgarian President calls for Regional Cooperation on Clean Energy

United Nations by XINHUA News Agency, Sept 24, 2014

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev on Tuesday called for regional cooperation to take advantage of the untapped huge clean energy potential, during the much-anticipated Climate Summit held in UN headquarters here in New York. Many of the more than 120 heads of state and government, business, finance and civil society representatives are expected to announce commitments Tuesday that will reduce emissions, enhance resistance to climate change and mobilize financing for climate action.

"Our region is blessed with huge clean energy potential, with strong solar and wind resources. To make use of this untapped energy potential, we have to strengthen our regional cooperation," said the President. He noted that European countries are facing energy security risks that cannot be solved on a national level, therefore, his country strongly supports the establishment of a European Energy Union and interconnection of networks and infrastructure on regional and European level.

"We need to develop a proper energy market and build the adequate gas and power interconnections. We strongly support projects such as TAP, TANAP, as well as interconnectors with neighboring countries to secure (energy supply) and cooperate," he added.

According to him, Bulgaria became in 2012 the country that installed the most solar power capacity per capita in the world, while southeast Europe has utilized only 41 percent of its hydroelectric potential.

"National economies must free and liberalize their energy markets and diversify their sources of energy," he said, adding "This is not only a question of welfare, but a question of security. Energy should not be a weapon. It is a good to trade and share."