site.btaBulgarian, Russian Energy Ministers to Discuss South Stream Project by Telephone

Bulgarian, Russian Energy Ministers to Discuss South Stream Project by Telephone


Sofia, December 17 (BTA) - The South Stream natural gas pipeline
 project will be discussed in a telephone conversation on Friday
 between Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenouzhka Petkova and
Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, Petkova's Ministry
reported on Wednesday.

The Ministry recalled that at the Bulgarian government's weekly
meeting on December 10 Prime Minister Boyko Borissov set out
concrete steps which should be made in connection with the
recently suspended South Stream project. Implementing one of
these steps, the government submitted an official proposal to
Maros Sefcovic, European Commission Vice President responsible
for the Energy Union, concerning the building of a gas hub in
Bulgaria.

After Sefcovic talked with government officials from Bulgaria
and seven other countries a week ago, the European Commission
Vice President was authorized by the member states to hold
negotiations with Russia on the future of South Stream.

The planned telephone conversation between the energy ministers
of Bulgaria and Russia is part of Sofia's efforts to support
this process and contribute to a final decision on the project.

On December 1 Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia
has abandoned the South Stream gas pipeline project. But the
Bulgarian government has not received a formal notification from
 Russia to this effect.

A Bulgarian delegation will visit Moscow on December 19 to
discuss the possible continuation of the project, Bulgarian
Economy Minister Bozhidar Loukarski said on Tuesday, as quoted
by Russia's Sputniknews.com.

"Bulgaria has never intended to stop the South Stream project,
we have always wanted it to be implemented, and we would like to
 hear an official position of the Russian energy minister on
this issue," Loukarski told reporters on the sidelines of an
economic forum in Belgrade, as quoted by Sputniknews.com.
According to Loukarski, Bulgaria insists that the South Stream
project could be adjusted to the European regulations and
legislation, the Russian news website said.