Russia To Demand Restart of Bourgas-Alexandroupolis Pipeline Project

Russia will demand a restart of the Burgas – Alexandroupolis oil pipeline project, Russian news agency ITAR – TASS reported, quoting the country's energy minister Aleksandar Novak.

In December 2011, Bulgaria proposed that the three partners - Bulgaria, Greece and Russia - abandon the Burgas-Alexandroupolis project by mutual consent. Otherwise, the Balkan country said it would back out unilaterally in 12 months.

In the beginning of 2013 Bulgaria revoked the trilateral agreement on cooperation in the construction of the pipeline. According to an analysis conducted during the development phase of the project, it would not be possible to carry it out under the terms stipulated in the trilateral agreement signed in 2007, thus Bulgaria will take the necessary actions to pull out of the project, the Bulgarian government said at the time.

"In spite Bulgaria's decision to leave the project, we think that the 2007 agreement among the governments of Russia, Bulgaria and Greece is still in effect,” Novak said, adding it was premature to talk about termination of the project as the agreement does not provide for unilateral decisions.

The 258-kilometre pipeline was projected to link the Bulgarian Black Sea port of Burgas with the Greek Aegean port of Alexandroupolis overland. Tankers were planned to discharge the oil at an offshore terminal in Burgas where it can be fed into the pipeline for transportation to Alexandroupolis.

(www.hbcbg.com, February 19, 2014)