Bulgarians Prefer EU and NATO Over Russia, New Poll Reveals
A recent survey in Bulgaria reveals a clear preference among citizens for the European Union and NATO over Russia, with nearly twice as many respondents supporting the Western alliances
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday told journalists he was perplexed to witness the "gutless" position of the Bulgarian government which in his words "ignored national interest".
Putin was referring to the South Stream pipeline project, which Russia abandoned last December, with the President citing opposition from the EU that resulted in Bulgaria refusing to issue construction permits. Agreement was reached back then to build a pipeline to Turkey (Turkish Stream) instead.
At at his annual press conference on Thursday, Russia's head of state underlined that his country had to invest some USD 3 B into South Stream for construction, job openings and salaries, also pointing out that Bulgaria would have started to receive EUR 400 B annually in transit fees if the project had been carried out.
TASS news agency quotes Putin as saying Moscow came up with the project "because Bulgaria supported it, but all of a sounded they didn't want it".
He stressed South Stream's idea had been "to help Bulgaria".
Putin made his comments when asked about major infrastructure projects to which Russia is currently committed.
The fate of Turkish Stream and the Akkuyu nuclear plant which Russia was supposed to build were called into question by the tensions between Russia and Turkey over a Russian bomber downed by two Turkish F-16s near the border with Syria.
On Turkish Stream, Putin said it did not "depend on us [Russia]" whether the project would be realized.
Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has passed a law allowing the purchase of two Russian-made nuclear reactors originally intended for Bulgaria's Belene Nuclear Power Plant
Ukraine's parliament has given the green light for the acquisition of two nuclear reactors initially intended for Bulgaria's Belene Nuclear Power Plant (NPP)
For the ninth consecutive year (excluding 2022), the electrical industry remains the largest contributor to Bulgaria's exports, as reported by the Bulgarian Association of Electrical Engineering and Electronics (BASEL)
European natural gas prices have climbed above €55 per megawatt-hour for the first time in 16 months, driven by colder temperatures across the continent that are increasing demand for heating fuel
Serbian oil and gas company NIS, controlled by Russia’s Gazprom, is considering exiting its operations in Bulgaria and Romania due to ongoing difficulties in both markets
The Russian company Lukoil initiated the process of selling its Bulgarian assets in June last year, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov announced during a parliamentary hearing
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