The terminal for liquified natural gas (LNG) in the Greek city of Alexandroupolis should become operational by October 2024 at the latest, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said at a news briefing in Athens on Tuesday, following his working meeting with Greeceās Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in the Greek capital. The two sides discussed the need to urgently intensify work on strategic projects between the two countries, such as the LNG terminal.
Radev stressed that Bulgaria and Greece have built excellent relations at the highest political level, thus boosting a number of important economic projects. “The problem is that we still cannot make the most of these excellent political relations,” the head of state said.
Radev recalled that in February 2023 he had visited Greece together with some of the caretaker ministers from the government of caretaker Prime Minister Galab Donev and back then they had signed “extremely important strategic agreements concerning the Burgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline project, as well as the project for joint management of the ports in Kavala”.
There are still some technical issues with the LNG terminal near Alexandroupolis that are being fixed. The terminal is forecast to be operational in October at the latest. Bulgarian state-owned gas transmission system operator Bulgartransgaz has signed an agreement with Gastrade, a subsidiary of the Greek energy company Copelouzos Group, to acquire a 20% stake in the Alexandroupolis LNG terminal.