“The road map” to implement the South Stream project in Bulgaria’s territory will be signed by the governments of Russia and Bulgaria on July 16, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov told journalists following his visit to Sofia.
“All questions to be considered will be solved according to the “road map,” which we have suggested,” he said. “Now it will be signed there, in Bulgaria, on the 16th.”
Zubkov did not specify who would sign the document from the Russian side, but said that the question would be solved at “a quite high level.”
“The trip was very successful, though there were very many issues and it was necessary to discuss our energy projects with the leaders of the country, with the Prime Minister Boiko Borisov,” he told reporters.
Over several hours of the talks, the sides managed to “discuss constructively” all the matters.
“We may say that we have received full understanding from Bulgaria’s government, and the prime minister confirmed that Bulgaria would join the South Stream,” Zubkov said.
On Tuesday, Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boiko Borisov commented on the results of the talks with Zubkov saying that there were no disputes between Bulgaria and Russia concerning the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline. Borisov said that over the negotiations, the sides agreed to use the existing gas pipelines in Bulgaria for the South Stream project and that the amount of gas transported via Bulgaria would be increased to 63 billion cubic metres.
“Having settled the disputes, the profitability of the South Stream project for Bulgaria doubles or triples,” Zubkov said. “Already on Thursday, the experts will finalise the details of the “road map” and by 2015 the pipeline will go operational.”