Russia's Ambassador to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov has reiterated calls on Bulgaria to hurry up with committing itself to the South Stream gas pipeline project and Belene nuclear power plant.

“Bulgaria should quickly decide how it will proceed with Belene nuclear power plant and whether it will participate in the South Stream project,” Chizhov advised on Tuesday on the sidelines of a conference on the combat with terror and drugs trafficking, organized by the Bulgarian Socialist members of the European Parliament.

He stressed that the South Stream project includes other countries and private companies.

“This is not just an intergovernmental project, it involves the private business as well, that's why the sooner everyone knows what they should do, the better,” the ambassador said.

Chizhov did not confirm reports that Russia plans to change the course of the South Stream gas pipeline project to exclude Bulgaria.

The statement comes a week after the president of gas monopoly Gazprom Alexei Miller indicated that South Stream might change course to exclude Bulgaria, which, according to him, has disappointed Russia by dragging its feet on other energy projects, such as the construction of an oil pipeline and a nuclear power reactor.

The current plan is to lay the pipeline to Serbia — and on to other southern European customers — through Bulgaria. Gazprom and partners will complete the feasibility study in three months at most, Miller said, adding that Romania was also offering broader cooperation in the energy field.

Gazprom estimates South Stream will cost at least billion to build and come on line in December 2015.

Recent statements by Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov that his country would be pulling out from two other high-profile energy projects, involving Russia – the Belene NPP and the Burgas-Alexandrupolis oil pipeline – have caused confusion and dismay in Russia.

Reports have suggested that Gazprom is already technically prepared to drop Bulgaria and to pick Romania for its South Stream gas transit pipeline project.

Macedonia is also set to 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.

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