Energy diversification topped the agenda of a meeting between the Bulgarian and Greek presidents here Wednesday as plans for a joint oil pipeline with Russia look increasingly likely to run aground.
Energy diversification topped the agenda of a meeting between the
Bulgarian and Greek presidents here Wednesday as plans for a joint oil pipeline
with
Russia
look
increasingly likely to run aground.
"We discussed cooperation in the energy sphere, a sector that is of
strategic importance to
Greece
,"
Greece
's
head of state Karolos Papoulias said after talks with his Bulgarian
counterpart, Georgy Parvanov.
"We find it crucial to boost work on the interconnector gas link between
Dimitrovgrad [in
Bulgaria
] and
Komotini [in
Greece
] and
the construction of terminals for liquefied natural gas in
Greece
that
can also feed the whole region," Parvanov said.
The two men have met regularly for bilateral talks for years.
But Wednesday was the first time that a planned 280-kilometer pipeline between
the Bulgarian
port
of
Burgas
and
Alexandroupolis in
Greece
was
not explicitly mentioned.
The Russian-backed project is effectively on ice after the Bulgarian
Environment Ministry last week refused to give its approval until the plans
were reworked.
The proposed pipeline would transport Russian oil to
Europe
bypassing the busy
Bosporus
Strait
.
But despite heavy pressure from both
Moscow
and
Athens
to
proceed with it,
Bulgaria
has
repeatedly expressed reservations about the project because it would pass
through protected nature reserves near Burgas.
Just two days ago, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited
Sofia
. But
he remained surprisingly tight-lipped about the project, even after Bulgarian
Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said the Burgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline "is
dangerous for Bulgarian tourism and I thank Mr Putin for his understanding of
our view."
Asked in a newspaper interview earlier this week whether
Bulgaria
was
definitively abandoning the deal, Borisov's curt reply was "Yes."
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