For years and especially since the South Stream gas pipeline project became "Turkish" and took the place of Bulgaria from the routes of Russian gas to Western Europe, Sofia has been seriously looking for options for diversification of sources and routes of gas supply to the national economy. The large reserves in the Caspian Sea provide such an opportunity as Bulgaria so far has worked intensively for inclusion in the upcoming deliveries of Azerbaijani gas. Two months ago, in June this year, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov discussed the issue in Baku with President Ilham Aliyev, and this week he held talks about possible deliveries of gas from Turkmenistan, located on the opposite east coast of the Caspian Sea. It is believed that this country has the fourth largest reserves of gas in the world, and also significant oilfields.

Borissov talked to Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov in particular about the possibility for Bulgaria to receive gas from Turkmenistan in the future Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline. The pipe is to be placed at the bottom of the Caspian Sea, connecting Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, as Bulgaria would be able to receive blue fuel via the interconnectors connecting Turkey and Greece.

It's about a very brave project which still faces a number of unknowns. For the maritime part of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline there is serious disagreement. Not clarified yet are the financial aspects of the construction. At issue is the very security of the supplies, which is confirmed by the fact that while Borissov was Turkmenistan to hold talks, in the Turkish province of Kars a section was blown up of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline which transported gas to Bulgaria. The search for options for gas supplies from such distant sources, and on still not constructed infrastructure, could be defined as presumptuous, if it were not a question of European, but only for national interests. Actually, the idea of ​​a Trans-Caspian gas pipeline is already on the agenda also in Brussels, and in June this year the first official meeting was held of the earmarked working group with participation of potential major players - the EU, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan and Turkey. A new meeting is scheduled for autumn. 

Boyko Borissov's visit to Ashgabat was the first of a Bulgarian prime minister to Turkmenistan and set expectations for the establishment of regular bilateral dialogue hereafter. It is expected that in the future contacts other geostrategic issues would be considered such as the active use of Bulgarian Black Sea port terminals as intermodal hubs for transit transportation of cargo from Western and Central Europe across the Black Sea to Asia. Bulgaria also sees opportunities to develop regular cargo railroad transportation from Varna to Türkmenbaşy. In a purely bilateral context, Borissov saw potential for the participation of Bulgarian companies in Turkmenistan infrastructure sites and construction programs. The emerging dialogue with a new partner in the east can be seen as part of the new orientation of Bulgaria towards enhancing trade and economic relations with non-EU markets.

English Rossitsa Petcova