Bulgaria, Russia sign Road Map on South Stream pipeline
VARNA. July 17. KAZINFORM Bulgaria and Russia have signed the "Road Map" on the South Stream gas pipeline construction and also a protocol on Russian gas supplies to Bulgaria. The document is singed by Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko and Bulgarian Economy, Energy and Tourism Minister Traicho Traikov.
The Road Map is a detailed schedule of work for the project's technical and economic substantiation with concrete timing for the work and other details connected with the project implementation.
South Stream will have a capacity of 63 billion cubic metres of gas. Pipelines that already are in Bulgaria's territory as well as new lines that will be built will be used for gas transportation.
The Road Map fulfilment will allow completing the work to switch to the other stage to carry out the project -- to work out the project documentation.
On Friday, the negotiators discussed a number of issues related to the project's technical and economic substantiation envisaging that the sea pipeline section will be of 63-billion-cubic-metre capacity.
Commenting on the dialogue, Traikov said earlier that the "Road Map" determined specific steps and gave a clear schedule on the pre-project work and setting up of a joint company.
The minister said the Bulgarian section would cost about 835 million euros. The joint Bulgarian-Russian company must be set up by February 2011. An important subject in the talks was the cost of gas for Bulgaria under long-term contracts. The Bulgarian side has real chances to lower the cost for itself, and the issue was discussed at the same time with the "Road Map", the minister noted.
South Stream is one of two (together with Nord Stream) projects for export gas pipelines to link Russia with European Union countries directly without transit states. South Stream is planned to be extended across the Black Sea to Southern and Central European countries, ITAR-TASS reports.
See www.itar-tass.com