Updated 3:48 p.m. Moscow Time
BRUSSELS, September 22 (RIA Novosti) – The European Commission is ready to discuss the South Stream gas pipeline project during the three-party talks on gas issues with Russia and Ukraine on Friday, a European Commission spokeswoman said Monday.
Marlene Holzner said that although Russian gas transit to Europe via Ukraine remains a priority for the talks, the European delegation would be ready to discuss the South Stream if Russia raises the issue.
In a resolution adopted last week, the European Parliament called on the European Union’s leaders to cancel agreements with Russia, including those on the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline project, built to deliver Russian gas to Europe bypassing Ukraine.
Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Friday that Russia expects to discuss South Stream with European Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger.
Aiming to diversify export routes from Russia to central and southern Europe, Russia began building the South Stream gas pipeline across the Black Sea in 2012. The pipeline, which will allow the transit of gas to Europe without crossing Ukraine, is expected to be fully operational by 2018. The first gas deliveries are scheduled for late 2015.
Intergovernmental agreements were signed with Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Greece, Slovenia, Austria and Croatia in order to implement the construction of the pipeline’s onshore sections. However, in August, Bulgaria suspended operations, saying that they did not meet European Commission requirements.
The commission has long been trying to hamper the project saying it violates the European Union’s Third Energy Package, which stipulates that pipelines in the European Union cannot belong to natural gas extractors. Moscow insists that the construction of the pipeline does not contradict the regulations in any way.
