South Stream: Moscow denounces veiled sanctions EU Russia on Monday denounced the suspension of the construction of the South Stream pipeline, imposed by it by the European Union to Bulgaria under the veiled adoption of economic sanctions against Moscow. The suspension announced Sunday by the Bulgarian construction of this pipeline to supply southern Europe in Russian gas is a creeping shift towards economic sanctions against Russia, he told Itar-Tass Russian representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov. There are direct indications that the actions of the European Commission with regard to South Stream are directly related to the crisis in Ukraine, he said. Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen ORESHARSKI announced Sunday the suspension of preparations for the construction of the Russian-Italian gas pipeline that would begin this summer, after criticism from Brussels and Washington. The European Commission last week sent a warning letter to the Bulgarian authorities, the first step of an infringement procedure, arguing that European procurement rules were not followed by Bulgaria. On 1 June, the European Commissioner? Energy, Günther Oettinger, had clearly stated in an interview with the German press that the negotiations with Moscow on South Stream would surely result in nothing as Russia would not change in the Ukrainian political crisis. It is difficult to get rid of the idea that blocking by the European Commission of the early work in Bulgaria was decided in purely political objectives, added Mr. Chizhov, told Itar-Tass in Brussels. South Stream has obviously a direct link with Ukraine after its construction because this country will lose its status as a transit monopoly gas to Central and Southern Europe, has he even said. He stressed the role played by him, besides the European Commission, the United States. The U.S. Ambassador in Sofia, Marcie Ries, was last week criticized the decision of Bulgaria to grant the construction of the section to the Russian company Stroytransgaz, hit by U.S. sanctions. This is not the time to do business with Russia as usual, said the ambassador. Mr. Chizhov, these remarks show that those who accuse Russia of using energy as a means of pressure should first look in the mirror. He also felt that the way in which the European Commission had imposed its decision to Bulgaria should be a lesson for countries facing the European Union, such as Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The European Commission has behaved well with a full member of the European Union, he said. He also felt that the issue of the South Stream pipeline would be subject to separate negotiations with the EU, and not be discussed during the Russia-Ukraine-EU tripartite negotiations in Brussels on Russian gas supplies. Led by Russian gas giant Gazprom and the Italian energy group ENI, South Stream will link Russia to Bulgaria via the Black Sea, bypassing Ukraine, before continuing to Greece and Italy, Serbia, Hungary Slovenia and eventually Austria. Another pipeline called South Stream, commissioned in 2011 by Gazprom and its Western partners are German, supplies Germany and Northern Europe through funds from the Baltic Sea.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 18:58:54 +0000
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