site.btaBulgaria Says Russia Has Not Stated Officially that South Stream Has Been Scrapped

Bulgaria Says Russia Has Not
Stated Officially that South Stream
Has Been Scrapped


Sofia, December 2 (BTA) - Reacting to reports that the South
Stream natural gas pipeline project has been scrapped, Bulgarian
Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Kuneva told journalists on
Tuesday that Russia has not yet made public its official
position on the matter, so Bulgaria cannot comment. Kuneva said
Bulgaria wants a project which is economically beneficial and
conforming to EU law.

On Monday, Russia's ITAR-TASS news agency quoted Gazprom chief
Alexey Miller as saying that the South Stream gas pipeline
project has been "closed." Miller, who was accompanying Russian
President Vladimir Putin on a visit to Turkey, told journalists
that the project "has no relevance."

Shortly before that, Putin said at the end of Russian-Turkish
high-level talks that "in the current conditions, Russia cannot
begin the implementation of the South Stream project," ITAR-TASS
reported. The reason, Putin said, is that Russia has not yet
received Bulgaria's permission. He recommended to Bulgaria to
demand compensation from the EU for lost profit in connection
with South Stream.

Miller reportedly said that Russia and Turkey have signed a
memorandum to build a seabed pipeline to carry 63 billion cubic
metres of Russian natural gas to Turkey annually.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak was quoted by ITAR-TASS
as saying that President Putin has decided to cancel the South
Stream project. PK/VE


/СН/