SOFIA (AFP)--Bulgaria and Russia are discussing a pipeline to carry Russian gas to Europe, but no agreement will be signed this week during a visit here of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivaylo Kalfin said Thursday.
"The negotiations on the South Stream project are continuing," the minister was quoted by the BTA news agency as saying. "Bulgaria has a position, but the deal won't be signed during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin."
The South Stream pipeline is to transport Russian gas to Europe through the Balkans, first crossing the Black Sea into Bulgaria and then splitting into two. One arm will go northwest to Austria, while the other will go south to Greece and then on to southern Italy.
Russian gas giant OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS) and Eni SpA (E) of Italy signed an agreement to build the pipeline last June.
Bulgaria and Russia were expected to clear several disputed issues around the deal and also sign an agreement during Putin's two-day trip to Sofia starting Thursday.
"We have agreed on two-thirds of the text of the agreement, but there are still some issues left," Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov had said Wednesday.
Among the disputed questions is notably the ownership of the pipelines passing through Bulgaria, the transit fees scheme, and ownership of the company to operate the project, Dimitrov said.
Bulgaria will also be involved in the European Union's rival pipeline project Nabucco, which will transport Asian gas from the Caspian basin to the E.U., bypassing Russia