EU Commission Motives to Freeze South Stream 'Political' - Gazprom

Russian energy concern Gazprom has accused the European Commission that it is putting a wheel on South Stream for political reasons.

In a letter to the Financial Times also quoted by Russian media outlets, Gazprom´s press secretary Sergey Kupriyanov has warned that, "unlike the northern EU member states, which will profit from the safer supplies through South Stream, the countries of Southeast Europe are not having an alternative route for gas supplies".

"It seems the European Union is ready to shoot itself in the leg by blocking a project that would allow it to boost its energy security and to fulfill its growing need of energy imports," Kupriyanov is quoted as saying.

The Gazprom official has described transit via Ukraine as "carrying risks", since it would take USD 19.5 B to modernize the Ukrainian gas tranportation system.

The route going under the Black Sea, on the other hand, has "commercial support" from leading European companies and the countries taking part in the project, he has argued.

Kupriyanov's letter is in response to an article in the Financial Times dated August 25 which calls the South Stream project "a pipe dream".