Bulgaria and Russia have signed an intergovernmental agreement for the
construction of the Bulgarian section of the South Stream gas transit pipeline
in the presence of their Prime Ministers, Boyko Borisov and Vladimir Putin, in
Sofia.
The two
state delegations of Bulgaria and Russia formally signed the South Stream
agreement, consisting of two documents,which had been prepared in advance in
the past few weeks.
It was
inked by the CEO of the Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH), Maya Hristova, and the
CEO of the Russian energy giant Alexei Miller.
The
deal stipulates the establishment of a joint venture, South Stream AD, which
will manage the construction and the operation of the South Stream gas transit
pipeline on Bulgarian territory - which will be the most crucial land section of
the pipe. BEH and Gazprom will each have a 50% share.
"I
would like to thank Prime Minister Borisov for the invitation, our dialogue is a
friendly one," Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin stated at the joint news
conference of the two state leaders after the signing of the South Stream deal
and two other intergovernmental agreements.