Gazprom Expects Green Light for South Stream Gas Pipeline from Bulgaria's New Govt

Gazprom expects to get the approval of the new Bulgarian government for the construction of the local section of the South Stream gas pipeline.

Alexander Siromyatin, Deputy Head of Gazprom's Project Management department, explained that the South Stream gas pipeline project had not been frozen.

He specified that the talks for granting an exemption from the EU's Third Energy Package to the South Stream project had been stopped.

"Bulgaria suspended the issuance of permits necessary for the construction of the gas pipeline. We expect the license to be issued after the elections on October 5," he said, according to reports of Interfax and the BGNES news agency.

Siromyatin added that Gazprom expected to receive permission to build the Serbian section of the South Stream gas pipeline before September 20.