Fort Russ: The death of South Stream - maidan in Turkey or government collapse in Bulgaria?

Yurasumy - Live Journal

Yesterday was eventful with statements. The energy sector perhaps most important:

"Given the fact that we still have not received permission from Bulgaria, we believe that Russia cannot continue the implementation of this project on these terms," - said Putin, stressing that to start a project without permission from one of the countries "is ridiculous".

"Are we going to invest hundreds of billions of dollars, go through the entire Black Sea and stop before the Bulgarian border?" - he said to journalists. "Therefore we will not implement it" - he concluded.

"This is not consistent with the economic interests of Europe and unfortunately undermines our cooperation, " - the President said. "But that is the choice of our European friends".

"But in the end they are the buyers, and it is their choice," - said Putin, calling the EU's position unconstructive. "If Europe does not want to implement the project, then it will not be implemented," - he said, stressing that everything was ready for South Stream from Russia's side.

In this regard, Putin advised Bulgaria, which is blocking the project, to demand from the EU a compensation for lost profits. "If Bulgaria is denied the opportunity to behave as a sovereign state, they should at least require money for lost profits from the Commission, because just direct transit revenues for Bulgaria would have been 400 million euros per year," - he explained.

"Ultimately, this is also the choice of our Bulgarian partners they probably have some obligations, but it's not our business, and the work of our partners," - added Putin.

Complete story at - Fort Russ: The death of South Stream - maidan in Turkey or government collapse in Bulgaria?

Fort Russ: "We turned out to be the same stupid prostitutes as the poles" - outrage and anger on Bulgarian forums

NoBC4U Note: So, Russia decides to cancel South Stream because the EU continues to delay and put up barriers to it's construction.  And what country gets hurt the most?  Bulgaria.  One of the poorest countries in the EU.  But don't fret Bulgaria.  Should Ukraine ever qualify for EU membership (doubtful), Ukraine will take over the bottom rung on the poorest of the poor in the EU ladder.

Krasavchik - Live Journal

I decided to read the comments on Bulgarian information resources. You can feel for our Bulgarian brothers. Translated a couple dozen of them. The vast majority of the comments, of course were written in the following spirit:

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Yes, something happened, what I was talking about a long time ago - the South Stream will pass through the territory of the country, which is a more reliable partner than we are! Well, we're a wealthy country, for us 400 million euros... is nothing. We will not even ask for compensation from the EU, you can be sure!
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God, what idiots are in charge right now!
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Are you Bulgarians or are you stupid? We had to fight!!!
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It's very simple. To this point we were led by greedy Prime Minister with BSP party. It is a national disaster!

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BSP, ABV, ATTACK, organize protests in front of the Presidential Palace, the Parliament, in order to prove to them that we are a civil society and not paid sorosoids!
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In a year we will buy Russian gas from Turkey and Greece, only with commission to the Turks and the Byzantines.

Complete story at - Fort Russ: "We turned out to be the same stupid prostitutes as the poles" - outrage and anger on Bulgarian forums

EU to accept South Stream if compliant with legislation,says Bulgaria

The South Stream project would've been easily accepted if the project was compliant with existing European legislation, said the President of Bulgaria on Tuesday.

“The countries which show an interest in the implementation of South Stream did a lot of preparatory work and authorized the European Commission to hold talks with the Russian leadership so that a decision on the project can be reached. The decision is entirely in the hands of Russia and the European Union,” Rosen Plevneliev said on Tuesday, commenting on the Russian decision to shelve the South Stream project.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin blamed Bulgaria on Monday evening, saying that Moscow is taking a step back because of Bulgaria’s delay in granting permission for the pipeline.

“I mean that we now need to start the construction of this pipeline in the Black Sea, but we cannot do that until we have Bulgaria’s permission. I think it’s clear to everyone that it would be ridiculous to start the construction in the sea, reach the Bulgarian shore and stop” Putin said on Monday, during a joint press conference with Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan.

Putin also spoke about the European Commission, adding that Sofia should ask for compensation from Brussels.

“If Bulgaria is deprived of the opportunity to act as a sovereign nation, then they should at least demand money from the European Commission to compensate for their lost profits, because direct revenues to Bulgaria’s budget alone would have been no less than 400 million euro a year.”

Complete story at - EU to accept South Stream if compliant with legislation,says Bulgaria

Bulgaria Halts South Stream Pipeline Again As NATO F-15s, Troops Arrive | Zero Hedge

As we detailed previously, Bulgaria had been an enthusiastic supporter of the Russian-backed South Stream gas pipeline project, whose construction has stoked tensions between the West and Moscow as it enabled gas supply to bypass troubled Ukraine (thus squeezing the desparate economy back into Russia's hands). In early June, Bulgaria's Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski ordered an initial halt (after Europe offered the nation's suddenly collapsing banking system a lifeline). This time, Energy Minister Vasil Shtonov has ordered Bulgaria’s Energy Holding to halt any actions in regards of the project as it does not meet the requirements of the European Commission. Of course, we assume this decision (to halt a 2nd time) is entirely independent of NATO's deployment of 12 F-15s and 180 troops to Bulgaria's Graf Ignatievo Air Base.





As RT reports, all operations on Russia’s Gazprom-led project South Stream have been suspended, as they do not meet the requirements of the European Commission, Bulgaria’s Ministry of Economy and Energy said on its website.

“Minister of Economy and Energy Vasil Shtonov has ordered Bulgaria’s Energy Holding to halt any actions in regards of the project,” the ministry said. This specifically means entering into new contracts.

There has been mounting pressure from the EU to put the project on hold, and now the European Commission will be consulted each step of the way to make sure it complies with EU law.

European 'anti-monopoly' laws prohibits the same company to both own and operate the pipeline. However, Gazprom and Bulgaria had previously struck a bilateral agreement regarding that aspect of the project.

...

Bulgaria is the first country traversed by the pipeline on land, after a section that runs beneath the Black Sea from Russia.

Complete story at - Bulgaria Halts South Stream Pipeline Again As NATO F-15s, Troops Arrive | Zero Hedge

Gov't Allowed Start of South Stream Construction in Bulgaria - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency

Bulgaria's former government granted South Stream the first building permit in end-July, the Regional Development Ministry's website reveals.

A document [BG] dating July 31 signed by former Regional Minister Desislava Terzieva shows the construction of a receiving terminal in the Pasha Dere area, near the Black Sea city of Varna and a compressor station.

The two facilities were given the green light despite Sofia's assurances that the project was frozen until a further decision from the EU Commission.

In the document handing out a construction permit, Terzieva points out that her ministry decided to approve "preliminary implementation" of the permit.

In her words, state and public interest would suffer if such a decision is delayed any further.

Complete story at - Gov't Allowed Start of South Stream Construction in Bulgaria - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency

Exclusive: Bulgarian nationalists may topple government over Russia sanctions | Reuters

(Reuters) - Bulgaria's nationalist Attack party will work to topple the government if Sofia backs a new round of Western sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Crimea, the party's leader told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.

Attack holds the balance of power in the Bulgarian parliament, and its threat is an extreme example of the domestic pressures European governments face in taking a position on the worst crisis in East-West relations since the Cold War.

If the party pulls the plug on Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski's minority coalition government, it could tip the European Union's poorest member state back into political instability. Months of street protests felled one government last year and almost toppled its successor, at a time when the country was struggling to revive economic growth.

Bulgarian leaders' position in relation to the Ukraine crisis is especially precarious. On the one hand, the country has pushed for closer ties with the EU bloc, which it joined seven years ago. On the other hand, it is almost entirely dependent on Russian energy supplies, and many Bulgarians feel a deep affinity for their giant neighbour across the Black Sea.

Complete story at - Exclusive: Bulgarian nationalists may topple government over Russia sanctions | Reuters