Pipeliners

23.04.2009 - Bulgarian News - “The Bulgarian energy holding” and “Gazprom” to sign a transit agreement for the “South stream” gas pipeline, which to give possibility for the Russian company to pay taxes for the transition of gas to Greece and Italy if the holding constructs part of the network. This option offers the Bulgarian energy ministry to the Russian side, informed a source close to the negotiations. The Bulgarian side insists on the Russian company to construct own network on the project, while “Gazprom” refuses with the motive that this is economically not profitable. For Bulgaria, the acceptance of the Russian suggestion – the existing network to be used, would mean blocking the transit for neighboring countries and Sofia to be deprived of the possibility for alternative gas supplies. The Russian gas monopolist offers to build diversion of the gas pipeline to Greece, the capacity of which according to energy experts is filled. “The wish of the Russian side is absolutely unacceptable, in the ratified by the parliament intergovernmental agreement for “South stream” is written that a new gas pipeline will be built by the future joint company”, said deputy minister of economy and energy Yavor Kuyumdzhiev for “Dnevnik” newspaper. He confirmed the idea for the agreement. The intergovernmental agreement stipulates for a project company to be established with equal participation of the energy holding and “Gazprom”. Bulgaria insists on a multilateral agreement to be signed, which to guarantee the realization of the project. On Tuesday the spokesman of the Russian company Sergei Kuprianov cancelled the scheduled press conference in Sofia on which he was supposed to give some details on the Russian position on the project. The reason was he missed the plane to Sofia. The vice-president of “Gazprom” Alexander Medvedev announced to the information channel “Vesti”, that this year corporative agreements with Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece would be signed. He explained that the company would suggest to the European Union the project to become a priority one. The Russian side insists also during the energy forum, organized by president Georgy Parvanov, a protocol to be signed, with which “Gazprom” is not engaged to guarantee the securing of 31 billion m3 gas annually for the gas pipeline.