Greek official: EU tries to block Russian gas pipe in S Europe

ATHENS, Jul 20 (PRIME) -- The South European pipeline meant to carry Russian gas to Central Europe from Turkey’s border is a priority for Greece, and it must implement the project despite E.U.’efforts to block it, former Greek Productive Reconstruction, Environment and Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis said Monday.

“We’ve invested much effort in order to sign an agreement for the Southern European pipeline to run from the Turkish border to Central Europe, even despite pressure and counter-actions. Greece can walk a new path with an independent energy policy,” he said at a ceremony of transferring powers to new minister Panos Skourletis.

The pressure still continues. “The European Union is exerting pressure even now, it is trying to stop the Southern European gas pipeline project and interferes in the project’s implementation,” Lafazanis said, calling upon the new minister to carry on the work.

Russia decided to construct the Turkish Stream, a pipeline that will run under the Black Sea to the Turkey–Greece border to replace the scrapped South Stream pipeline, which was supposed to carry Russian gas to Europe bypassing Ukraine. In June, Greece signed a memorandum to host extension of the pipeline for direct supplies to the E.U.

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