In July 2021, the sixth issue of Energy and Climate Diplomacy was published as the fifteenth volume in the Foreign Policy Studies series of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute. This year’s publication focuses on three main areas: strategic issues; regulation and legislation; and investment and alternative renewable energy sources, including geothermal energy and the processing of biowaste.
The strategic section features a publication dedicated to the Three Seas Initiative and the Republic of Bulgaria’s hosting of the Summit held on 8–9 July 2021. The article explores the historical development of the Initiative and the opportunities it offers for enhanced energy, transport and digital connectivity. The other two publications examine the role of energy security in NATO’s activities and energy relations between the EU and Ukraine. Their authors are Chief Assistant Professor Milen Kisyov of the G. S. Rakovski National Defence College and Mr. Alexey Margoievski, a reporter at the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) and a PhD candidate at the University of National and World Economy.
The second section addresses issues related to regulatory changes in EU energy policy in the context of the European Green Deal and their impact on the structure of Bulgaria’s energy sector. The contributors are Assoc. Prof. Dr. Atanas Georgiev, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”; Ms. Sofia Savova, an expert at the Stara Zagora Regional Economic Development Agency; Ms. Lyubomira Gancheva, Adviser on Energy Affairs at the Administration of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria; Ms. Ilina Stefanova, Energy Efficiency Project Coordinator at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); Ms. Viktoria Dimitrova and Mr. Pavlin Stoyanov, legal consultants specialising in the energy sector.
The third section explores the role and place of biowaste and geothermal energy in a zero-carbon economy. The articles are authored by entrepreneurs in the energy sector, Mr. Tsvetozar Zahariev and Mr. Georgi Kortov.
