Bulgaria needs the South Stream gas
pipeline, however, it will be built according to European rules, Bulgarian vice
premier for economic policy Ekaterina Zakharieva said in an interview to the
BTV television channel on Thursday, Russian news agency ITAR TASS reports.
"The European Commission
suspects Bulgaria of violating the EU legislation in the South Stream gas
pipeline construction, in particular, non-observance of competition rules.
However, this does not mean that the project should be halted. We guarantee
full assistance to the EC and will provide all the needed information to the
commission so that it could look into the validity of their claims, we have
voiced recommendations on the necessary changes in the project to continue
South Stream construction," Zakharieva said.
The vice premier confirmed that
former Regional Development Minister Desislava Terzieva at the close of her
office term signed the permission for the construction of the gas pipeline's
receiving terminal in the area of Pasha Dere near Varna and a compressor
station.
"Clearly, the work under the
project continues, the land has been sold and the construction beginning permit
has been issued. But we so far have not seen the signed agreement, and the
presidential administration has not received it either. Now we have requested
the full relevant information. I'd like to emphasise that the project is
important for Bulgaria and Europe, but it should be correctly structured to be
not halted by the European Commission," the vice premier said.
On August 5, Bulgarian President
Rosen Plevniev, speaking of the tasks of the interim technocratic government of
the country, expressed support to the gas pipeline construction project under
European rules. However, South Stream will be frozen in Bulgaria, pending the
European Commission's decision," the president said.
The main gas pipeline route of the
Bulgarian section will be 541 km long. The project provides for the construction
of a receiving terminal and three compressor stations in the area of Varna,
Lozen and Rasovo with aggregate capacity of 300 MW.