Iran and Bulgaria Discuss Gas Corridor to the Black Sea

The Bulgarian Energy Minister, after meeting with Iran's Oil Minister, announced that the parties discussed the transfer of gas from the Persian Gulf to the shores of the Black Sea in Europe. Potential routes include Greece and a new path through Armenia and Georgia. Bulgarian officials stated that specialized groups will meet and discuss this matter in the coming months. In a statement from the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry published by the European Gas Portal, Minister Temenuzhka Petkova also invited Bijan Zangeneh to closely examine the gas transfer capacities in her country. According to Petkova, one potential route is through the Alexandroupolis port terminal (in Greece) and the Greece-Bulgaria route, ultimately leading to Southeast Europe. According to the Focus news agency, Petkova mentioned that there are specific preconditions for transferring Iranian gas in the next three to four years. The meeting between Petkova and Zangeneh took place on the sidelines of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's visit to Iran. The European Gas Portal quoted Borisov on July 14, stating that during the meeting of technical delegations from the countries in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, they would discuss a travel and transfer route among the four countries: Iran, Armenia, Georgia, and Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Prime Minister stated in a statement, 'We are building highways and railways... We are in a position today to welcome these new routes in our ports and in Europe, not just for cargo transfer but for gas transfer as well.' Armenian state radio also reported on the discussions and the proposed project. The European Gas Portal indicates that despite all this, the easiest potential route for transferring Iranian gas to Bulgaria is Turkey. Mikhail Korchemkin, head of the Eastern European Gas Consulting company, told the portal that Iran could quickly increase its gas transfer to Bulgaria by adding more loops to the existing pipeline. This possibility was not mentioned in the published statements. Iran ranks second in the world in gas reserves. Bahman Soleimani, the exploratory deputy of the National Iranian Oil Company, stated in 2014 that Iran has gas reserves for the next 200 years. Nevertheless, the Financial Times reports that tensions and violence in the Middle East remain a major obstacle for Tehran in realizing its ambitious goals.