A little over two years ago on the personal order of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin stopped the gas pipeline project from Russia under the Black sea to Bulgaria and further to Central and Western Europe. After a long, complicated and controversial negotiations, Moscow and Ankara signed an agreement on new gas pipeline “Turkish stream” under the Black sea to Europe. And still not clear what will constitute this pipeline, if ever it will be built as an alternative to “South stream”, and can he really replace the “South stream”.
This is indirectly acknowledged by the Russian President in Budapest last week, Recalling that Moscow continues to be willing to develop cooperation with Europe, but insists on guarantees. Putin did not miss the opportunity to mention Bulgaria, which “did not find the courage at the time to resist the decisions of the European Commission”, giving way under the pressure of Brussels, a long time staring disapprovingly on this project.
Whether Putin’s statement in Hungary be regarded as testing the waters for a possible new gas projects with the participation of Bulgaria? Can. Maybe it’s because these preparatory maneuvers are not dated last week, and in one form or another, did not stop even with the supposedly final end to South stream more than two years ago. Naturally, the analysis of the situation began at a low level, at the level of more or less known gas experts who have studied and described the possible variants of realization or transformation of the gas pipeline project.
Whatever was done to the interpretation, conclusions and predictions, they were always present Bulgaria, it seems to be erased by Putin with the Russian gas map of Europe. The most popular was the idea to one of the two provided pipes “Turkish stream” through Bulgaria, a kind of mini-“South stream”. It’s like balm for the soul for a recent Bulgarian rulers, who had plans to build on the spot where the “South stream” will come out of the sea, distribution center and will make a profit by selling gas to all neighboring countries and even to Central Europe.
Now those hopes once again rise to the idea of separating the two tubes of the “Turkish stream”, one of which will reach the Bulgarian Black sea coast. Especially happy still theoretical possibility Russophile Bulgarian socialist party and, above all, the expert on energy in this game Javor kuyumdjiev. He predicted the success of this project, to which he added associated with Russia frozen the project of the second NPP in Belene and the construction of another reactor long-standing and successful work of the Bulgarian NPP “Kozloduy”.
Due to the lack of currently elected Parliament legitimate government, the public reactions of the Bulgarian authorities officially no. The fact that there was talk and negotiations, more than clear, but the fact that no one on the eve of a looming exceptionally tense parliamentary election will not tell you what he thinks on the topic of Sofia, is perfectly understandable. It’s just no one to do, and less often it can make official government, which is not known, hold it in power for 4-5 months.
And the solution is so strategic in nature that it was impossible to expect some more particular Bulgarian positions before the elections and before the formation of a new regular government. When this happens, is not known. In addition, once having experienced the influence of Brussels on this issue, Putin is not allowed to lay any pipe of a gas pipeline without proper safeguards and agreements with the EU.
Election victory in March in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian socialist party would significantly simplify this task. In plain text this was stated by the Chairman of the party Korneliya Ninova, who said after the victory of the BSP-supported candidate, General rumen Radeva that this is only the beginning of change. And the significant place they occupy rapprochement and cooperation with Russia Putin.
