Ambassador's Interviews
Ambassador McEldowney Addresses Energy Issues in News Media Interview
January 22, 2009
In print interviews published January 22, Ambassador McEldowney focused on the importance of diversification of Bulgaria’s energy supplies. The Ambassador said that the monopoly position of one single supplier creates problems, and pointed out that it is key for America as a partner of Europe to build energy security on this continent. Ambassador McEldowney raised the question about the secrecy of the gas agreements and the intermediaries that are set up to put distance between the true negotiators. The Ambassador concluded that there needs to be a multiplicity of resources – not just routes but also sources and types of energy.
The U.S. Ambassador in Bulgaria Nancy McEldowney: Let’s hope for a visit within 4 years
Trud Daily, January 22, 2009, Pg. 3
Trud Daily
By Ivelina Kiryakova
It is realistic to hope and to work for a visit of the new President of the U.S. Barrack Obama and the Secretary of State Hilary Clinton in Bulgaria in the next four years. This was said by the U.S. Ambassador in Bulgaria Nancy McEldowney on Tuesday night at a reception on the occasion of the inauguration of the 44th President of the U.S. “I cannot promise anything, I cannot mention a date. But why not? I don’t see why President Obama and the Secretary of State Clinton would not come here. Bulgaria is our partner,” said McEldowney, who is a personal acquaintance of Hilary Clinton. The Ambassador spoke after Obama’s speech which politicians, journalists and public figures watched live at the U.S. Embassy in Sofia. Obama’s word moved many of them, some were in tears.
Some of the guests of the Ambassador congratulated her with the words “Happy Birthday!” – not because of her personal holiday, but because of the resurrection of the U.S. under the leadership of Obama.
The reception at the U.S. Embassy was attended by the Vice Prime Minister Miglena Plugchieva, the Minister for European Affairs Gergana Grancharova, the Minister of Defense Nikolay Tsonev, the Chair of the Parliamentary Commission for Foreign Affairs Solomon Passy and others. McEldowney has no doubt that the Balkans, Southeastern Europe and the whole continent will be a key priority for the new administration. According to her, Obama’s team will strive to put the partnership between Bulgaria and the U. S. on a better level of cooperation. The evening was festive and the mood was up. However, this did not stop the Ambassador from tackling two issues related to the gas crisis in Bulgaria, in terms of transparency. “Why are the energy contracts secret? Everybody should ask about the terms and conditions in them,” said the Ambassador. The second problem she sees is in the intermediaries, who according to her are created to build a wall between the real negotiators. “And when a country like Bulgaria legitimately raises the question about compensation for the cut supplies, it appears that it cannot do that as the intermediaries have agreed this way,” said McEldowney. She highlighted that everyone should oppose this, as the Prime Minister Stanishev did. McEldowney also said that there was another step further we should make and that was securing more than one energy supplier.
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| Chassa Daily |
24 Chassa Daily, January 22, 2009, pg. 27
It’s of key importance to America as a partner of Europe to build energy security on the continent. This is an issue that is often complicated or misunderstood.
We are trying to create a structure of energy security in the continent in which democratic Russia has its role to play as a significant source of energy for Europe. But we also understand that the monopoly supply creates problems. And that’s why we talk about diversity and for transparency for Bulgaria.
The energy crisis that Bulgaria has faced in the last days has shown first hand and in very human terms how crucial this issue is. Many of (President) Obama’s advisors have already spoken of how the energy issue should become a priority and how we should go forward not in slogans and simplistic terms but with meaningful solutions so that a country like Bulgaria which has nothing to do with the squabble between Russia and Ukraine has ended up as a victim having gas supplies completely cut off for day after day.
We have to find a solution that will give your country the independence in terms of economy and in terms of national security that it needs. It has to secure energy resources from diverse sources and with the transparency that your society deserves.
When we talk about transparency I worry that the people around the country don’t fully understand what I am talking about.
First of all, why are energy deals secret? It’s a very good question and it’s a question that every person should be asking. Why should a crucial resource that every single person man, woman or child depends on, why should people here not know what the terms of the agreements are?
Second, still on transparency. There are all those unclear companies, those intermediaries that are set up to put a wall, to put that distance between the true negotiators. And as we see in the recent circumstances when Bulgaria legitimately asks for compensation because of lack of supply they say: “Oh, no, you cannot do that. Those are the conditions set by the intermediaries.”
Everyone should be objecting to that. And your Prime Minister legitimately wants to get rid of these intermediary companies and wants to negotiate transparent agreements.
But there has to be yet another step. There has to be more than one supplier. Whether it’s Russia or any other state there needs to be a multiplicity in terms of not just sources, but in terms of routes. What for example is South Stream? South Stream provides another route by the same source. And if you do that Bulgaria will just change places with Ukraine.
If, however, there is a different source and a different route then we go back to what Churchill said once although using different words. He said that when you are talking about energy the solution is variety, variety, variety. And this means variety of sources, variety of types. And that’s the other thing that Bulgaria needs to do - to look at renewable energy, clean energy, energy efficiency. That’s also part of the equation.
Excerpts of the statement of the U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria before journalists.
Optimism
The expectations of this new President and his administration are enormous. He has to look at the financial crisis and we are a nation at war, actually we are an alliance at war together. And sometimes I fear that people expect this President to be a superhuman, to do more than any individual person can achieve. But I believe that we will see extraordinary things from this President and from his administration. He is committed to make change where it is necessary but he has also shown that he is ready to continue a path if he finds a path worthy of continuing. So it will not be a change for change’s sake but rather a thinking approach to policy - what makes sense, what is best for America, and what is best for the world, Ambassador McEldowney also said.