Gazprom boss urges Romania to make a decision on South Stream

Gazprom export CEO Alexander Medvedev (photo) said in an interview for Southeast European Times that Romania should make its intentions clear about South Stream project. He stated that 2009 has been a difficult year for Gazprom, but he added that there is no doubt that the company made great progress on some key long-term projects.

He explained that last year Gazprom invested more than the average of the last three years which were, regarding revenues, much more successful. He said that the company entered the final phase of preparations and negotiations for the construction of the South Stream pipeline.

While North Stream will connect Russia with Germany, with special branches for Finland, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, South Stream should connect Russia with one of the Black Sea European countries, probably Bulgaria, and then Italy, via Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia and possibly other countries. These pipelines will make possible to deliver additional 115 billion cubic metres of gas yearly to Europe directly.

Medvedev added that it is an important step the fact that Croatia admitted the importance of South Stream project. "As for Romania, I can only say that no country that is serious about joining South Stream will be left behind. Romania has a great strategic position on the Black Sea coast and it could have been the starting point for the European part of the pipeline route, like Bulgaria. It can be connected from that country, but we also have to see what will happen with the project in Bulgaria now that the government has changed. Negotiations with Bulgaria are still under way and this is the right time for Romania to make its intentions clear about the project" he declared. Medvedev added that the era of cheap energy is over, but massive new pipeline projects will help.

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