Russia has asked France for help to secure European backing for the South Stream gas pipeline project, countries' prime ministers Vladimir Putin and Francois Fillon said Friday in a joint declaration.
Russia
has
asked
France
for
help to secure European backing for the South Stream gas pipeline project,
countries' prime ministers Vladimir Putin and Francois Fillon said Friday in a
joint declaration.
Russia
's
South Stream pipeline--envisioned to carry up to 63 billion cubic meters of
Russian natural gas under the
Black Sea
to
Europe
starting 2015--has failed to gain backing in
Brussels
, as
it is seen as a rival project to the European Union-backed Nabucco pipeline.
New EU rules known as the Third Energy Package are pushing for more competition
in
Europe
's energy market, but have sparked tensions with
Russia
, as
Moscow
believes
they undermine its own investments in the 27-nation EU, including the South
Stream project.
Russia
asked
France
to
help include South Stream into a list of "projects of European
interest," said the joint declaration by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir
Putin and his French counterpart Francois Fillon.
The South Stream project would need exemptions from the Third Energy Package,
which doesn't contain clear guidelines on import infrastructure.
Russia
has
yet to formally submit a request for Third Energy Package exemptions.
The pipeline is expected to run under the
Black Sea
from
the Russian coast to the Bulgarian city of
Varna
,
where it is expected to branch out into two sections. One of the sections is
expected to run to
Italy
and
the other to
Austria
.
Russian natural gas giant OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS) owns 50% in the South Stream
project, while
Italy
's Eni
SpA (E) holds 20%, Electricite de France SA (EDF.FR) and
Germany
's
Wintershall AG own 15% each.
Διαβάστε ακόμα
Τρι, 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 19:58
Τρι, 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 19:54
Τετ, 18 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 18:32
Τετ, 18 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 18:27
Τρι, 17 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 20:01