EU Energy Commissioner, Guenther Oettinger, has stated that the EU
supports the Russian backed South Stream gas pipeline provided that it meets
technical requirements for security.
Oettinger is in Bulgaria for Tuesday’s international forum ‘Energy
security in the wider Black Sea region: an approach to public-private
partnership’.
He said that the South Stream project increases the import capacity
and also added that the EU and US backed Nabucco gas pipeline enhances the
diversification of gas supplies to Europe. Oettinger summed up the situation by
saying “a situation must be built in which everyone wins.”
Oettinger said that there will be intensive dialogue between Bulgaria
and the EC to harmonize positions on the Bulgarian energy projects. “Bulgaria is
not only its own market, it is important for other countries in the region” the
EU Energy Commissioner highlighted.
He added that the interests of Bulgaria and the EU are very similar
where it comes to “gasification”.
He concluded that 2010 will be a very important year for energy
projects in Europe and that energy security and energy cooperation is a top
priority of European institutions.