South Stream-Bulgaria: Work on Local Pipeline Section Continues

The South Stream-Bulgaria company has assured that work on the local section of the gas pipeline project continues.

The comments of the South Stream-Bulgaria company, as cited by ITAR-TASS, came after the announcement of the European Parliament that the project should not be implemented.

"The pipes from the first weld of the South Stream gas pipeline, which marked the official start of the construction of the gas pipeline in October 2013, have now been taken to a temporary storage facility and will be used in subsequent activities," the company said, commenting on allegations that the pipes for the Bulgarian section of the conduit were being removed.

The European Parliament is to vote Thursday on a resolution on the project, according to reports of dnevnik.bg.

Earlier on Thursday, Bulgarian MEP Ivaylo Kalfin made clear that he had objected to the request for stopping the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline.

He claimed that South Stream did not increase dependence on Russian gas but provided an alternative route for gas supplies.

To illustrate his point about the need for an alternative route, Kalfin reminded that Bulgaria has been affected by the gas supply cut for shipments passing through Ukrainian territory.