Bulgaria halts Russia-led South Stream section works on EU call

MOSCOW, June 9 (Itar-Tass) - Bulgaria has suspended works on construction of its section of the Russia-led South Stream pipeline until the project meets requirements of the European Commission, the country’s Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski said at a news briefing on June 8 following a meeting with the U.S. senators. Bulgaria received a request from the European Commission and decided to suspend the works on the project, Oresharski said, adding that the country’s further actions on the matter would be defined after additional consultations with Brussels. Representatives of Russia, Ukraine, and the E.U., which will hold a trilateral meeting on gas issues on Monday, may consider the Bulgarian move as well, a representative for Russia’s Energy Ministry said. However, Moscow has not been given any notifications regarding Bulgaria’s decision on the South Stream construction, he said. The European Commission is not blocking the South Stream project, and just wants it to comply with the E.U. legislation, a representative for the commission said. Earlier in June, the commission announced its intention to halt the South Stream implementation in the E.U. countries, and in Bulgaria in the first place. The commission believes that the project does not comply with regulations of the union’s third energy package, and moreover Brussels suspects Bulgaria of violating European tender rules on infrastructure construction and granting preferences to Russian and Bulgarian companies, Sabine Berger, a spokeswoman for E.U. Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger said. The main purpose of the Monday trilateral meeting is to discuss the price of Russian gas for Ukraine, a representative for the ministry said. Ukraine is also expected to settle all issues regarding its debt for gas supplied earlier by Tuesday, he said. Oettinger, Russia’s Energy Minister Alexander Novak, Ukraine’s Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yury Prodan, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller, and Naftogaz Ukrainy CEO Andrei Kobolev will participate in the meeting, representatives of the commission and the Russian ministry said. The South Stream pipeline will carry Russian gas to the E.U. bypassing Ukraine. Gas will be pumped to the Bulgaria’s Black Sea port of Varna before extending overland through Serbia, Hungary, and Slovenia to supply gas to the Western Europe via Italy and Austria. The pipeline’s capacity amounts to 63 billion cubic meters. Learn more on itar-tass.com