Bulgaria PM: Europe Should Not See Reactivation of NPP Units as Defiance

Politics » BULGARIA IN EU | January 25, 2009, Sunday // 00:00
Bulgaria PM: Europe Should Not See Reactivation of NPP Units as Defiance: Bulgaria PM: Europe Should Not See Reactivation of NPP Units as Defiance The Bulgarian PM Sergey Stanishev informed Sunday that Bulgaria must be very cautious and precise when presenting its request to reactivate the NPP Units to the EC so that the request did not look like a defiant act. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

Bulgaria is still not ready with the letter to Brussels to insist on the reactivation of Units 3 and 4 of the "Kozloduy" Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), the Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev informed Sunday.

Stanishev spoke during his official visit in the city of Ruse, explaining that Bulgaria must be very cautious and precise in its analysis to be presented to the European Commission (EC) since the Commission already has stressed out that the gas crisis was over.

"However, it is a fact that the relations between Russia and the Ukraine remain tense and uncertain. This is the reason why the Bulgarian Parliament made the decision to reactivate the NPP Units. But we must be very careful not to leave the EC with imprecision that we are acting in defiance, we need to follow the precise conditions included in our EU accession treaty," the PM said.

Stanishev further pointed out that it was crucial for Bulgaria at the moment to sustain its plans for diversification of the gas projects including the modernization and expansion of the Chiren gas storage facility to cover the country's needs in the event of a similar crisis, valued at EUR 250 M, building the connection between Bulgaria and Greece to cost another EUR 120 M, as well as building a terminal on Greek territory and connecting it to Bulgaria, and connecting the Bulgarian and the Romanian gas systems.

"As we expect solidarity and understanding on the part of the EC to help us realize those major projects, we must be very cautious when undertaking other actions and not to undertake them singlehandedly. This is why the Bulgarian Energy Ministry is still working on the arguments to be presented to Europe regarding the reactivation of the Units from "Kozloduy," Stanishev reiterated.

The PM further informed that in the last 2 years Bulgaria has invested BGN 60 M in the modernization of the gas system; BGN 20 M of them in the Chiren storage, and that the European Regional Development Program had some additional funds for new gas connections.

"However, the whole package of projects I just mentioned would require over EUR 900 M. This is lots of money. Money that has not been planned in out State budget. This is why we have to turn to our European partners," Stanishev said.

The PM is going to travel to Budapest on Monday to meet his Czech counterpart Mirek Topolanek in connection with the "Nabucco" gas line project. While in Budapest, Stanishev will also meet with the Prime Ministers of Hungary and Turkey to talk about "Nabucco", and with the President of Azerbaijan to discuss alternative deliveries of Azerbaijani gas.

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