advertisement
Sat, May 26 2012
Foreign Minister: Relations between Bulgaria and Russia are still strong
Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov
Relations between Bulgaria and Russia are excellent, based on extensive mutual co-operation, and not exclusively on one particular energy project, according to Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov, speaking after his regular Cabinet meeting on June 16 2010.
Mladenov was referring to last week's decision, taken by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov, to end the interminable uncertainty surrounding the Bourgas-Alexandoupouli gas pipeline.
Borissov told European Union ambassadors on June 11 2010 that Bulgaria had decided to permanently pull out of the Bourgas-Alexandropoulis gas pipeline project, and shelve indefinitely its Belene nuclear project.
"I think engagement between Bulgaria and Russia is very good at the moment," Mladenov said, in spite of the news.
Speculation had circulated around Bulgarian media outlets, following the decision to withdraw from the project, that the real loser in the deal would be Greece. Reports emerged that Bulgaria and Russia wanted nothing to do with the pipeline and were waiting to see who would back out first.
Mladenov quickly dismissed suggestions that relations between Bulgaria and Russia would grow cold following Bulgaria's decision to leave the project.
"We have a wide scope of relations, and there is a lot of potential that could benefit the Bulgarian and Russian people in the future," said Mladenov, without elaborating.
The decision to scrap the construction of the Bourgas-Alexandroupoulis pipeline was made because of staunch resistance from residents of the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Bourgas and surrounding region, according to Borissov.
Mladenov was referring to last week's decision, taken by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov, to end the interminable uncertainty surrounding the Bourgas-Alexandoupouli gas pipeline.
Borissov told European Union ambassadors on June 11 2010 that Bulgaria had decided to permanently pull out of the Bourgas-Alexandropoulis gas pipeline project, and shelve indefinitely its Belene nuclear project.
"I think engagement between Bulgaria and Russia is very good at the moment," Mladenov said, in spite of the news.
Speculation had circulated around Bulgarian media outlets, following the decision to withdraw from the project, that the real loser in the deal would be Greece. Reports emerged that Bulgaria and Russia wanted nothing to do with the pipeline and were waiting to see who would back out first.
Mladenov quickly dismissed suggestions that relations between Bulgaria and Russia would grow cold following Bulgaria's decision to leave the project.
"We have a wide scope of relations, and there is a lot of potential that could benefit the Bulgarian and Russian people in the future," said Mladenov, without elaborating.
The decision to scrap the construction of the Bourgas-Alexandroupoulis pipeline was made because of staunch resistance from residents of the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Bourgas and surrounding region, according to Borissov.
-
Print
-
Send via email
- Translate to
-
Share:
Comments
To post comments, please, Login or Register.
Please read the The Sofia Echo forum comments policy.
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Mladenov: The EU in a multipolar world
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov addressed the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia on August 29 2010. This is the full text of his speech.
White House, state dept say Russian ‘spy’ case no setback to relations
Many experts question whether the alleged Russian agents were successful in their information gathering activities, while analysts say that the incident will not derail US – Russia relations.
Analysts: Russia welcomes American business but not opinion
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev is seeking to entice investment from American businesses during his visit to the United States. But analysts in Moscow say while Russia wants American capital, it does not want the United States meddling in Russian domestic affairs.
Greece presses for Bourgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline
Greek politicians want to take measures to salvage the Bourgas- Alexandroupolis pipeline project which was scrapped by the Bulgarian Prime Minister.
Bulgarian PM supports Belene nuke project - but at a revised price
Boiko Borissov: This is a European project, part of the European energy security plan. I have nothing against the Russians, but this costs money – and this is our money.
China agrees to invest in Greece in spite of Moody's downgrade
Moody's Investors Service had downgraded Greece's government bond ratings to 'junk' status on June 14, citing risks in the rescue package.
Moody's downgrades Greek state bonds to junk
The negative action reflects international concern that the country could fail to meet its obligations to cut its deficit.
Jackpot in Bulgaria reaches six million leva
State lottery craze grips the country before the draw on June 13.
More in this category
Czech Republic, Romania mull shale gas moratoriums
Governments in Prague and Bucharest could soon join Sofia in instituting temporary moratoriums on shale gas exploration.
Serbia: Tadić leads as presidential elections head for second round
Coalition around ruling Democratic Party has largest share of vote in Serbia's parliamentary election, according to exit polls.
Greek voters punish major centre-right, socialist parties at polls
Centre-right New Democracy is said by exit polls to have largest share of votes, but diminished even from its 2009 defeat, while socialists Pasok – the 2009 victors – gets somewhere around 14 to 17 per cent.
Deal on OSCE role in Serbian elections welcomed
An agreement reached with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will allow voters with dual citizenship in Kosovo to vote in the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections in Serbia.
Macedonia arrests 20 suspected terrorists
Twenty radical Muslims suspected of being members of a terrorist group that has been linked to the murder of five fishermen in early April.
© 2000-2012, Sofia Echo Media Ltd.
Web Design by RIZN
Sofia Echo Media is part of the Economedia Group.
The news and information content on this website is provided by our editorial team and is copyrighted.
Any unauthorised reproduction or use of it is strictly forbidden. Reproduction of this website's content is permitted only
with prior written permission from the Editor-in-Chief, should be propertly acredited and provide an active link back to our site.
Comments posted by the website's visitors are independent of the editorial materials and do not represent the views of sofiaecho.com.
Sofia Echo Media cannot be held responsible for the statements contained in visitor comments.
The percentаge change in the shares' prices are based on the price of the last transaction of the current session compared to the
price of the last transaction of the previous session. Bulgarian Stock Exchange data is not real-time, but updated every 15 minutes,
and should not be used as a basis for decisions about buying or selling stock options.
- Economedia Group portfolio:
- In Bulgarian:
-
Business:
Капитал,
Кариери,
Пазари,
Ho Re Mag,
Регал,
Градът.bg,
Одит,
Foton.bg,
Online shop
- News: Дневник, Европа, Foreign Policy - България
- IT: IDG.BG, Computerworld, PC World, CIO, Networkworld
- Entertainment: Бакхус
-
In English:
The Sofia Echo
indeed it is like ex Yugo. like the Serbs welcomed the Albanians in Kosovo only to loose it centuries later when new geopolitics wanted to.
The Russians and the French, Germans are not the same as back in 1999.
same for you US.
Wait, isn't this the projected line?
http://www.transatlanticpolitics.com/wp-content/up
Greek, sorry but this is very much a Serb style talk and we all know how well that ended up in the ex Yugo countries.
The key for Greece and BG is to have better countries and no one will be prone to aspire to independence.
If we destroy our economies instead of growing them and we make our minorities feel second class, then yes we could look for Russia to save us.
[...]
Read the full comment We do have the choice though... BG Turks have been a very much abused and a very peaceful minority, so I think the key of keeping our country together is to make it a better place, not building pipelines to keep our neighbors out.
the Nabuko project is not benefiting Greece since it does not pass through Greece. Only Burgas and South Stream.
The Russians want to pass their petrol without using marmara straights.
This is a geopolitical project which will ensure that Turkey is not calling all the shots.
Besides this when the time will come that the Muslims of Greek and Bulgarian Thrace declare independence (when ordered to) the Russians will be an obstacle since they will have interests in the area.
Why are you people talking as if Greece is somehow out of the American sphere of influence? Greece is much more intertwined with the US than BG. What are you think you are doing - changing places with us in the old Warsaw Pact? Bulgar is right - all the deals our old government cut with the Russians aren't very advantageous to BG and the NABUCCO project benefits Greece much more than it does BG and much more than the South Stream, so Greece is clearly on American side on that. I am very pro-Russian and really hope that they [...]
Read the full comment get incorporated in the EU in whatever way possible, but this is about money - it's not worth it. It's like investing in BG - it's business, not expression of love.. Clear prove of your Balkan identity that you'd see a business deal through your 1000 year historical prism... learnt nothing from your decades in the "West"?
I think it's interesting that you are talking about backstabbing when that same Boyko was down to Greece trying to get your farmers to open the border for how long? What did we do to you folks besides buy all of your agricultural products for some time now, to block your country to us? Are we EU or not? Even the trains were sabotaged endangering people... To expect loyalty you need to first show friendship and good will - all we hear is insults and put downs.
Greece is losing friends left and right and it isn't something we are doing - we are your least problem for sure...
The Bear hss just started to rise
from hibernation.
how is non russian gas a perk? even obama has talked about buying more russian gas. and russia is already close to bulgaria. what is the point in trying to get america on your side?
well it seems that backstabbing Greece in the two projects of Burgas-Alex and Southstream will give you the edge to become the Balkan reps of the Americans in the area together with the Scopians amd Kosovars. This is the reason also your prime minister gave a travelling warning to Greece when no other did. Seeing Greece also in this economic mesh it is the best opportunity to revenge.
well the masks have fallen and the Bulgarians like for the last 1000 years can not be trusted.
Bulgar do you think that the US will be the only power in the future to kiss their azz? The EU wants Russia to get closer.
"the real losers are Greece and Boulgaria. what do you earn out of this?"
Bulgaria earns almost nothing from Russian projects. With Nabucco they get non-Russian gas and US friendship.
the real losers are Greece and Boulgaria. what do you earn out of this?