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Victoria Mindova

At one of the latest three-party meetings between Russia, Greece and Bulgaria, the latter expresses some doubts regarding the Bourgas-Aleksandrpoupolis gas-pipe. The Russian state demanded that all inquiries, on part of Bulgarian or Greece, be in a written form. Until now, such inquiries have were not yet been received. This was announced by the Russian Ambassador in Athens Vladimir Chickvishvili at the international “South-West Balkans: crisis and perspective,” symposium that took place in the Greek capital. Chickvishvili announced that Moscow is ready to discuss all matters regarding environmental protection and the building and use of the Bourgas-Aleksandrpoupolis gas-pipe.

The Russian state has conducted a research according to which the annual use of natural gas in Western Europe in will be increasing with 20 thousand cubic meters until 2012. After the completion of the “South-Stream” gas pipe, Russia will be able to supply European consumers with up to 63 thousand cubic meters per year. Ambassador Chickvishvili noted with a certain amount of humor that the “South-Stream” and “Bourgas-Aleksandroupolis” projects are not a political plot. Rather, they constitute a business project aiming at the strenghtening of energetic independence of European countries.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has signed a contract with Bulgaria and Serbia on the financing of the construction of underground natural gas storage facilities, as announced by Ricardo Puliti- director of business group in charge of energy and natural resources to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Puliti presented a short report on the projects financed by the bank and announced that the net worth of investment in the states from the former communistic block is over €2b. Puliti recommended that the Balkan region countries should start diversifying their energy resources in order to avoid a forthcoming crisis. In addition, he recommended investment in gas- and petrol-pipes coming from different sources/countries (for example Russia and Kazakhstan). The banker emphasized the great importance for the Balkan states attract and retain foreign investment, assuring a long-term stabilizing of local economy.

The former Minister of Development from New Democracy Kostis Hadzidakis appealed to current and future governments of Greece to continue energy-policy, started from the former government, defining it as “the right way for stabilizing the position of Greece in the Balkans and Europe.”