Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08SOFIA707
2008-11-05 06:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Sofia
Cable title:
THE PRESIDENT'S ENERGY LETTER: PARVANOV TAKES ON
how-toVZCZCXRO3281 OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHSF #0707 3100627 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 050627Z NOV 08 FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5519 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000707
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2018
TAGS: ENRG PGOV PREL BU
SUBJECT: THE PRESIDENT'S ENERGY LETTER: PARVANOV TAKES ON
BOARD, WILL TRAVEL
Classified By: Ambassador Nancy McEldowney for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000707
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2018
TAGS: ENRG PGOV PREL BU
SUBJECT: THE PRESIDENT'S ENERGY LETTER: PARVANOV TAKES ON
BOARD, WILL TRAVEL
Classified By: Ambassador Nancy McEldowney for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: In a November 3 meeting with the
Ambassador, Bulgarian President Parvanov welcomed President
Bush's October 21 energy letter, skewered EU energy policy
dithering, and warned of Russian advances in Central Asia and
the Caucasus. Parvanov is actively engaging Azerbaijan and
Central Asia though a series of visits aimed at increasing
Europe's profile in the region and laying the groundwork for
Bulgaria's energy summit, planned for April 2009. Other
issues from the meeting will be reported septel. End Summary.
2. (C) President Parvanov welcomed President Bush's October
21 letter on building support for a Southern Corridor. He
told the Ambassador November 3 that Bulgaria is actively
engaging the Caucasus and Central Asia on energy issues
because the EU as a whole is distracted, a trend that will be
amplified by the global financial crisis. Parvanov said
other EU countries are stepping up to fill the vacuum left by
the lack of EU policy, with Hungary and the Czech Republic
planning major energy gatherings in the first half of 2009.
Unfortunately, said Parvanov, these events are unlikely to
lead to any positive final result. "There is too much
motion, and not enough movement," he said.
3. (C) By contrast, he explained, Bulgaria continues to lay
the groundwork for its long-planned April 2009 energy summit,
by reaching out to heads of state of producer countries. In
September 2007 Foreign Minister Kalfin held energy talks in
Kazakstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. Parvanov then met
with Azerbaijani President Aliev in March 2008 and secured a
"pledge" of one bcm of Azeri gas as Bulgaria's Nabucco quota.
Bulgaria would like to take this gas as soon as possible and
has proposed a hook-up to the Turkey-Greece-Italy
interconnector to do so.
4. (C) On November 5 Parvanov will travel to Uzbekistan for
energy talks with his counterpart. In mid-November Bulgarian
Vice President Angel Marin will attend the Baku Energy
Summit. (N.B. Marin sometimes speaks out of school and off
message.) In December, President Parvanov will meet his
counterpart in Turkmenistan. These visits are necessary, he
said, to make up for time and momentum lost by the European
Union over the past seven months. Azerbaijan, especially,
wants to feel like part of the European family, so engagement
is essential and timing is key. While the EU dithers, he
said, Russia is making headway in the region, as evidenced
most recently by Moscow's recent facilitation of talks on
Nagorno Karabakh.
5. (C) Ambassador welcomed Bulgaria's Southern Corridor
outreach. She noted that as an EU member, neighbor and
former electricity exporter to Turkey, Bulgaria has a special
role to play in solving the Turkish part of the Southern
Corridor calculation. She urged Parvanov to find creative
ways to meet Turkey's energy needs and to support the opening
of the energy chapter of Turkey's accession bid. Parvanov
requested a follow-up meeting to discuss next steps on the
Southern Corridor upon his return from Central Asia in
December.
McEldowney
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2018
TAGS: ENRG PGOV PREL BU
SUBJECT: THE PRESIDENT'S ENERGY LETTER: PARVANOV TAKES ON
BOARD, WILL TRAVEL
Classified By: Ambassador Nancy McEldowney for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: In a November 3 meeting with the
Ambassador, Bulgarian President Parvanov welcomed President
Bush's October 21 energy letter, skewered EU energy policy
dithering, and warned of Russian advances in Central Asia and
the Caucasus. Parvanov is actively engaging Azerbaijan and
Central Asia though a series of visits aimed at increasing
Europe's profile in the region and laying the groundwork for
Bulgaria's energy summit, planned for April 2009. Other
issues from the meeting will be reported septel. End Summary.
2. (C) President Parvanov welcomed President Bush's October
21 letter on building support for a Southern Corridor. He
told the Ambassador November 3 that Bulgaria is actively
engaging the Caucasus and Central Asia on energy issues
because the EU as a whole is distracted, a trend that will be
amplified by the global financial crisis. Parvanov said
other EU countries are stepping up to fill the vacuum left by
the lack of EU policy, with Hungary and the Czech Republic
planning major energy gatherings in the first half of 2009.
Unfortunately, said Parvanov, these events are unlikely to
lead to any positive final result. "There is too much
motion, and not enough movement," he said.
3. (C) By contrast, he explained, Bulgaria continues to lay
the groundwork for its long-planned April 2009 energy summit,
by reaching out to heads of state of producer countries. In
September 2007 Foreign Minister Kalfin held energy talks in
Kazakstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. Parvanov then met
with Azerbaijani President Aliev in March 2008 and secured a
"pledge" of one bcm of Azeri gas as Bulgaria's Nabucco quota.
Bulgaria would like to take this gas as soon as possible and
has proposed a hook-up to the Turkey-Greece-Italy
interconnector to do so.
4. (C) On November 5 Parvanov will travel to Uzbekistan for
energy talks with his counterpart. In mid-November Bulgarian
Vice President Angel Marin will attend the Baku Energy
Summit. (N.B. Marin sometimes speaks out of school and off
message.) In December, President Parvanov will meet his
counterpart in Turkmenistan. These visits are necessary, he
said, to make up for time and momentum lost by the European
Union over the past seven months. Azerbaijan, especially,
wants to feel like part of the European family, so engagement
is essential and timing is key. While the EU dithers, he
said, Russia is making headway in the region, as evidenced
most recently by Moscow's recent facilitation of talks on
Nagorno Karabakh.
5. (C) Ambassador welcomed Bulgaria's Southern Corridor
outreach. She noted that as an EU member, neighbor and
former electricity exporter to Turkey, Bulgaria has a special
role to play in solving the Turkish part of the Southern
Corridor calculation. She urged Parvanov to find creative
ways to meet Turkey's energy needs and to support the opening
of the energy chapter of Turkey's accession bid. Parvanov
requested a follow-up meeting to discuss next steps on the
Southern Corridor upon his return from Central Asia in
December.
McEldowney