Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov Expects Permission From EC For Direct Pipeline From Turkish Stream to Bulgaria

''I  am waiting for a letter from the European Commission on whether they will allow me or not to start negotiations for a direct pipeline from Turkish Stream to Bulgaria'', Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said at the annual meeting of Bulgarian ambassadors, quoted by BGNES.

Borisov said he is grateful to the EC for their understanding that Bulgaria has to maintain its strategic role for gas transit, abiding by all European rules, which is the case of the proposed Balkan gas hub.

Borisov added that he is strictly following his policy, otherwise Bulgaria will end up as a mere gas customer. He wants the Energy Ministry to sign a road map for the delivery of 18.7 billion cu m of gas from Turkish Stream to Bulgaria.

''Now, in these relations between the European Union and Turkey, we can ask many rhetorical questions, which is better and which will be worse'', Prime Minister Borisov further said during his annual meeting with the Bulgaria's ambassadors.

Novinite.com recalls: The Turkish stream gas pipeline replaced South Stream, which was supposed to supply gas directly to Bulgaria at the bottom of the Black Sea.

Two years ago all politicians and energy experts were talking about another gas project that also had to cross the Black Sea - the South Stream gas pipeline project. It had to cross Bulgaria on its way to Central Europe. Bulgaria was lobbying openly for that project, because this country was hoping to collect reasonable revenues from the transit of Russian gas through its territory.

The transit fees would have been quite substantial, taking into consideration the fact that according to the initial plans, the capacity of the suspended South Stream project would have been twice bigger that the Turkish stream.