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From Bulgaria
05.08.2014 13:12
© south-stream.info
Russian Businessman Gennady Timchenko confirmed the exit of his company Stroytransgaz from the consortium selected to build South Stream gas pipeline in Bulgaria in favour of Gazprom subsidiary Centrgaz. In an interview for ITAR-TASS Timchenko blamed U.S. senator John McCain for Bulgaria’s decision to replace Stroytransgaz. McCain was on an official visit in Sofia in June to meet now ex-Bulgarian PM Plamen Oresharski, after which the socialist-led coalition government announced that it would work towards clearing the concerns of the European Commission regarding the project. Meanwhile Stroytransgaz was appointed for the construction of the Serbian stretch of the pipeline.
“We won the tender and were counting to make a contribution to this project, but, you see Mr. McCain came to Bulgaria and convinced local authorities to decline our services. We decided to withdraw from the project to minimise the possibility that it fails”, Timchenko, who is on the U.S. sanctions list, told ITAR-TASS, as reported by BTA.
So far there was no official information about the replacement of Stroytransgaz with Centrgaz. Bulgarian newspaper Capital reported that this change in the construction consortium was already made, with shifts of some of the five Bulgarian companies also completed.
What is more, despite the fact that PM Oresharski stated that South Stream has been suspended, Bulgarian media reported that preparatory work for the construction has been underway uninterrupted. The Gazprom – Bulgarian Energy Holding joint venture for the construction of the pipeline in Bulgaria – “South Stream Bulgaria” – has already bought successfully land excluded from the national forestry fund, which takes the project a step closer to its realisation.
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