Report: Bulgaria still hopes Russia will build South Stream

PRAGUE, Jan 30 (PRIME) -- Bulgaria has not yet received an official statement from Russia on the South Stream project’s termination and continues preparations because anything may happen, President Rosen Plevneliev said in an interview to Czech daily Lidove noviny on Friday.

“We do not rule out any possibility as we still have not received an official position of the Russian side. The Bulgarian government continues preparation works…The Bulgarian position is clear: the project can be implemented only if it complies with the E.U. legislation,” Plevneliev said.

“We want Russia to be our partner and negotiate with us like a partner. A partner would send us a letter to inform us about its plans. But Russia has not done it…We only have a public speech of President Vladimir Putin.”

He said that by the end of 2016 Bulgaria plans to construct a gas pipeline to Greece with the money that is regularly disbursed to the country from the European funds. “We want no additional funds.”

In December, Russia scrapped the South Stream pipeline project, which was meant to pump gas to Europe bypassing troublesome Ukraine. Instead, Russia will extend gas supplies to Turkey and will build a gas hub on the border with Greece to sell gas to E.U. countries. Russia will not control gas dispatches across the E.U. anymore.

End