Macedonia Set to Become Part of 'South Stream'

Business » ENERGY | June 18, 2010, Friday // 17:55
Bulgaria: Macedonia Set to Become Part of 'South Stream' Up to now, Bulgaria has been a key country in the realization of the South Stream pipeline that must deliver Russian gas to Europe. Photo by wordpress.com

Macedonia must become part of European energy corridors and in particular join the projected South Stream pipeline that will transfer gas from Russia to Southern and Central Europe.

That is part of the conclusion from a meeting of the Macedonian delegation to Moscow, headed by Macedonian President George Ivanov, reports Macedonian TV Kanal 5.

Ivanov met his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev Friday, and later his delegation had discussions with other high-ranking Russian officials, including head of Russian gas company Gazprom Alexei Miller.

Gazprom is ready to consider the possibility of South Stream branching into Macedonia, according to an official release from the company, quoted by Russian RIA agency.

This news comes in the wake of confusion caused by comments on the part of Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov that Bulgaria has dramatically cooled on two other high-profile energy projects with Russia, the Belene NPP and the Burgas-Alexandrupolis oil pipeline.

Earlier this week Romanian minister of energy Adrian Videanu visited Moscow for negotiations to include Romania in the South Stream project.

Thursday Russian daily Kommersant commented that the talks signal the possibility that Moscow might want to circumvent Bulgaria through Romania, following Bulgarian PM Borisov's negative assessment of joint energy projects with Russia.

The South Stream pipeline is projected to deliver gas from Russia through the Black Sea and then on to Southern Italy and Austria in two branches. Up to now, plans include the pipeline branching up in Bulgarian territory northwards to Serbia, Hungary and ultimately Austria, and southwards through Greece and ultimately southern Italy.

Inclusion of Macedonia could completely circumvent Bulgaria in the execution of the project.

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Tags: South stream, Russia, macedonia, Romania

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