site.btaPM Borissov Tells Parliament He Does Not Have Access to Agreement on Construction of South Stream Gas Pipeline Project

PM Borissov Tells Parliament He Does Not Have
Access to Agreement on
Construction of South Stream Gas Pipeline Project

Sofia, December 3 (BTA) - Prime Minister Boyko Borissov
Wednesday requested Parliament to ask the government to obtain
the agreements on the South
Stream gas pipeline project "by force". On Wednesday Borissov
took part in
a hearing by Parliament about the intentions of the government
after Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement about
cancelling the project via Bulgaria.

Borissov said he could not get hold of the South Stream
agreement. "I have heard things but I cannot see anything in
writing because nothing is being given to me, about how much
Bulgaria will profit from transiting the gas, as of which year.
If there are are people who know, such as Peter Chobanov
[finance minister in the Plamen Oresharski cabinet], Dragomir
Stoynev [former energy minister], let them tell me where we can
see these things and read them," Borissov asked of the MPs.

The Prime Minister stressed that the support of the Bulgarian
Parliament is important so that the project be saved. On
Thursday Borissov is scheduled to confer in Brussels with
President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker,
European Council President Donald Tusk, and President of the
European Parliament Martin Schulz. If the Bulgarian Parliament
votes a statement on South Stream on Wednesday, the document
will be presented in Brussels as well.

"I do not consider it diversification if the Russian gas
circumvents Bulgaria and comes via Greece," Borissov said,
adding that he will insist on hearing from Greece in Brussels
whether they will be giving Bulgaria this gas, as per the third
liberalization package. The PM voiced regret that the procedures
for the construction of gas interconnectors have been slowed.

Leader of the left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Mihail
Mikov said in Parliament that "today Bulgaria is once again
faced with the danger of being circumvented". "The Ukrainian
joy, the joy of the others must prompt us as Parliament, people
and state, to try to unite around a position which we must
defend. Because we will be delivered Russian gas, only that this
will be done by Turkey and Greece. This is inadmissible and the
generations will not forgive us," Mikov said.

The BSP leader said much had been done in Bulgaria for the South
Stream to be implemented. Mikov said the project was supported
by the majority of the Bulgarians. In his words, in the past
year alone, two environmental assessments were issued, of the
marine and of the land section of the project, technical designs
were drawn up, a building permit was issued which was
promulgated in the "State Gazette" in the last days of the
previous Parliament. Mikov said also that a loan had been
ensured for the capitalization of the 30 per cent of financing
Bulgaria contributes with in the project.

According to Mikov, the statement that Parliament is to pass
should require from Brussels and Moscow equal and fair treatment
of Bulgaria and all countries who stand to lose from the
cancellation of the project: Slovenia, Austria, Serbia and
Hungary. "A hypocritical attitude from our big partners,
irrespective whether from the East or the West, will not be
forgiven by the Bulgarian people, neither will do they forgive
Parliament's cowardice," Mikov said.

Commenting the letter of former prime minister Plamen Oresharski
on suspension of all activities vis-a-vis the implementation of
South Stream, Mikov said that this constituted overstepping his
powers. Mikov said that about this "there was not a position of
the Council of Ministers, only a statement of the Prime
Minister". The letter showed "what pressure had been exerted on
Oresharski by [then EC president Jose] Barroso," Mikov said,
recalling that back then, in his capacity as National Assembly
Chairman, he said that the Prime Minister could not suspend
something which was not state property. PK /ZH/
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