Moscow: Bulgaria can’t be trusted for any pipeline projects

By
Gorazd Velkovski
-
3

Bulgaria missed its chance to have a gas pipeline from Russia after backing out of the South Stream project four years ago, Russian Senator Aleksey Pushkov wrote on Twitter.

During his visit to Moscow on Monday, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev proposed building a direct pipeline from Russia to Bulgaria.

Bulgaria ditching the South Stream was a gross error, Turkey immediately seized its chance [with Turkish Stream], and Germany is building Nord Stream 2. A good lesson for Sofia,” Pushkov wrote.

The South Stream project was cancelled by Bulgaria following pressure from the European Union and the United States. The final decision to stop the project was announced in June 2014 by the Bulgarian authorities following the visit of US Senators John McCain, Chris Murphy and Ron Johnson.

The project, which was officially agreed in 2012, was seen as an important step towards energy security for Europe, as it would bypass politically unstable Ukraine. Since then, Russia has announced it would re-route its gas flow to Southern Europe through Turkey.

Turkish Stream will consist of two lines. The first, with a maximum capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters, will deliver Russian natural gas directly to Turkey. The second is intended to deliver gas to European customers through Turkey. The possible clients of Turkish Stream are Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary.

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  • jj

    It is a real shame because Bulgaria would be a more direct route, and part of the cancellation I believe was some kind of bluffing by the EU/U.S. so they could get more control or more money for it. I think Russia should still consider it a little – perhaps make it a smaller project or implement it bit by bit or cut Germany in it a little. If it gives Germany or some other EU country a share/percentage then perhaps there’d be less resistance.

    • LXV

      “…a more direct route…”?

      Have you seen the map of Vulgaria? Are you geographically challenged?

      • jj

        I mean a more direct route to Serbia and then central Europe after getting Russia gas from the Black Sea (it will just go essentially straight west through Bulgaria). With Turkey there is more land to build through – it has to go way south, then across very wide Turkey, before it will come up through Greece (to get around Bulgaria) and then through Macedonia, etc.