Brussels, 04/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov in Brussels on Thursday 4 December, confirmed the support of the EU for Bulgaria in energy security matters and with regard to the South Stream gas pipeline project.
“Energy matters are a matter of common concern to all Europeans. Bulgaria is not alone, we are with Bulgaria in this difficult time. We want energy to flow to Bulgaria and to the whole of Europe and we will not accept any blackmailing on energy matters”, Juncker stated after the meeting. He promised to work closely with Sofia on an investment plan “to ensure that energy interconnectors are a key element” (of the investment plan).
With regard to South Stream, “The EU and Bulgaria are working together to solve the outstanding legal issues. They are not insurmountable”, added Juncker. “Boyko and I will find a solution together. South Stream can be built. The conditions have been clear since a long time. There is nothing new. The ball is in the court of Russia”, he made clear. He would not accept that Bulgaria be subjected to blackmail: “Bulgaria is not, as we say in French, un facteur d'ajustement in the relationship between Russia and the EU”, he added.
Bulgaria has received no formal notification of Russia's withdrawal from the South Stream project, Borisov said. He regretted that, in the comments of Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Ankara on 1 December, Bulgaria “was the only state mentioned as a problematic party to South Stream”. “This is not fair, because the European Commission is negotiating on behalf of the six member states which are on the route of South Stream. In addition, the preparatory operations have not been suspended, like the issue of permits”, said Borisov. He also felt the announcements made by some Russian and Turkish leaders in Ankara at the start of the week were “premature”, with EU energy ministers due to discuss this issue at a meeting in Brussels on 9 December. “We are for South Stream, but we want it to be built in compliance with EU rules”, he stated.
On Wednesday, Russian Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov said that Moscow was “ready to negotiate” with certain of the stakeholder countries in South Stream so that they can be included in the route of another possible gas pipeline, but not with Bulgaria, which is seen as an “unreliable partner”. The Russian media have quoted Chizhov as indicating that Serbia, Hungary and Austria were countries with which Russia would be prepared to talk. “When the gas platform is built in Turkey, we'll see what the EU's position is and that of the countries concerned. From the Turkish hub, a pipeline can stretch in any direction”, the Russian diplomat said.
South Stream, headed by the Russian gas firm Gazprom (50%), and with the participation of ENI of Italy (20%), the French group EDF (15%) and Germany's Wintershall (15%), is planned to link Russia to Bulgaria under the Black Sea, thus avoiding passing through Ukraine, to carry gas to the EU through a southern arm through Greece to Italy and a northern arm that passes through Serbia and Hungary on its way to Austria, Croatia and Slovenia. South Stream should be able to bring 63 billion cubic metres per year of Russian gas to Europe, over 10% of European demand. The cost of the project has been put at above $40 billion. (EH)