A high-ranking Russian delegation is
going to arrive in Sofia for discussions of the three large-scale joint
Bulgarian-Russian energy projects.
The delegation will include Energy Minister, Sergey Shmatko, and the
head of the state-owned nuclear energy corporation Rossatom, Sergei
Kiriyenko, the Bulgarian National Television reported.
They will discuss with the Bulgarian government the future of the
South Stream gas transit pipeline, the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil
pipeline, and the Belene Nuclear Power Plant.
Earlier on Friday, Shmatko, who is also a former head of the
Atomstroyexport company that is supposed to build the Belene plant,
said Bulgaria and Russia never had any secret agreements about the
energy projects - something that contradicts statements by former
Bulgarian Ministers of the Stanishev government claiming that the
Russian side had insisted on keeping certain provisions of the
bilateral projects secret.
It is still unclear whether the Russian officials will meet with the Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov.