The initiative committee for the salvation of the Bourgas gulf was preparing a protest in Sofia against plans for the construction of the Bourgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, the committee announced as quoted by Bulgarian news agency BTA.

On January 9, the committee said in a media statement that it was worried about the way Bulgaria's Government and state institutions were engaged in the construction of the Bourgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline and its concomitant installations in the Bourgas gulf and on dry land, Dnevnik daily reported.

Despite a referendum on the oil pipeline organised by local authorities in Bourgas, the Government and state institutions were preparing to sign an agreement to set up an international company to realise the project during the visit of Russian president Vladimir Putin to Bulgaria, the declaration said.

We are once again witnessing decisions being taken non-transparently and hastily and these decisions could have grave, even catastrophic consequences to the economy, tourism, environment, life and health of people, not only in Bourgas, but in the whole South East of Bulgaria and could influence in a negative way the development of the whole country, the committee said.

Political and public organisations were called upon to take part in the protest rally under the heading To Save the Bourgas Gulf, which would take place on January 18, 2008 in Sofia. The place and hour of the rally would be additionally specified after co-ordination with Sofia Municipality, Dnevnik daily said.