Bulgarian PM confirms importance of the South Stream project for Bulgaria

Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski has confirmed that the South Stream Gas Pipeline project is very important for Bulgaria, and he stated that the country has sent its response to the European Commission’s infringement procedure against Bulgaria regarding the project, the Bulgarian newswire Novinite reported July 8.

“I am optimistic that our arguments sent to the European Commission, regarding the South Stream Gas Pipeline project, will be accepted,” Oresharski said, as cited by the newswire.

Due to noncompliance with EU standards, the EC launched an infringement procedure against Bulgaria in June 2014, giving Bulgaria a month to provide its official position on the matter, which Bulgaria has done recently. According to the statement issued by Bulgarian government, the South Stream Gas Pipeline project is not at odds with the EU norms.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who on Monday July 7 came to Sofia for a two-day visit, stated that Moscow would also insist that negotiations on the South Stream project with Brussels be renewed and excluded from the scope of the EU’s Third Energy Package.

“The EU Commission has already made a derogation regarding a number of other gas pipelines,” Lavrov said, as cited by the newswire. “We consider that the EU’s approach will be reasonable. Our position is clear: [Third Energy Package] rules cannot be applied retrospectively. This is a basic principle of international law.”

During meeting with the Bulgarian Foreign Minster Kristian Vigeninc on July 7, Lavrov also underscored the importance of the construction of the South Stream Gas Pipeline project and had expressed again Russia’s readiness to pursue “a constructive dialogue” with all sides interested in the project, including the EU Commission.