The government press center announced that during an informal lunch after the end of the energy summit “Natural Gas for Europe. Security and Partnership” in Sofia, the prime minister of Bulgaria Sergei Stanishev expressed his satisfaction with the final declaration of the summit.

The announcement notes that the document, approved by the participants from Europe, the Caspian region, Central Asia and the Middle East, formulates several principles – the transparency of the entire chain of trade with gas, cultivation of long-lasting relationships between the countries that supply and those that transfer and consume the gas, creation long lasting interactions that ensure the energy safety of Europe, etc.

The participants announced their support for the realization of all gas projects in the wide Black Sea and Caspian region and South-eastern Europe. The prime minister Stanishev expressed hope that the Sofia declaration will be important for the further partnership for shipments of natural gas in Europe and will serve as a guideline for the companies that participated in the previous energy business summit.

“I believe that the success of the energy summit will turn it into an annual event and a tradition that further develops the co-operation in energy issues”, added the prime minister.

The prime minister regarded the summit as a success for Bulgaria and noted the efforts of the government to gather the leaders of eleven countries in one place, and just as many ministers and government representatives from the consumer, producer and transit countries of Europe.

The prime minister expressed his gratitude towards the participants of the summit for their constructive work. The idea for the summit was first presented by the Bulgarian president, with the idea to turn it into a bridge for co-operation between countries interested in the energy safety of Europe.