Recently the President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov discussed the prospects of cooperation between the two countries. In addition, during the conversation touched upon the construction of the gas pipeline “South stream” which should pass under the Black sea to deliver Russian gas to southern and South-Eastern Europe.
Some time ago, because of the position of Bulgaria and some other EU countries the project “South stream” was postponed and then canceled altogether. However, in a recent conversation with Putin, Bulgarian Prime Minister said about the need to resume the gas pipeline construction and readiness of Bulgaria to participate in the project. “With Russia we agreed to establish working groups on restoration of the Russian energy projects, including the construction of gas pipeline “South stream” — said Borisov.
The change in the attitudes of Bulgaria was made possible after thawing of relations between Russia and Turkey. At the end of June the President of this straniera Erdogan apologized to the Russian President downed in November last year, the bomber Air and space forces of the Russian Federation. After that Moscow and Ankara have stated the need to work out a plan for the further development of relations, including through the strengthening of economic cooperation that includes the implementation of joint infrastructure projects.
Perhaps the most important of these projects is the “Turkish stream”, which Moscow announced in 2014 after the failure of negotiations with the Europeans regarding the implementation of the “South stream”. Negotiations for its building was suspended at the end of last year, but now obstacles to this is not, in any case, according to the Turkish side.
We are ready to make steps towards the realization of this project, discuss it and make a decision. Any obstacles to this. Erdogan, Recep Tayyip.
Thus, the beginning of August was a time of yet a formal thawing of two major infrastructure projects — “South” and the “Turkish stream.” It should be noted that Russia, despite the shouts from the West, is engaged in the construction of the pipeline “Nord stream-2”.
How are the three “stream” and what are the options for the development of gas policy in the European direction is from Moscow?
It should be noted that the priority goal of Russia in implementation of its gas policy is still Nord stream-2″. The construction pipeline should pass from the southern coast of the Baltic sea (Ust-Luga port) to Germany. As in the case of “South stream”, the project of a gas pipeline under the Baltic sea, initially faced opposition from the Brussels bureaucracy, coupled with the shouts from Washington.
