The Balkan Stream's return to full capacity is again being slowed down by Bulgaria
The achievement of the designed capacity of the Balkan Stream gas pipeline, which will ensure the transit of Russian gas through the territory of Bulgaria and Serbia to Europe, is being hampered by the supply of American equipment to compressor stations in Bulgaria.
The director of the National Energy Security Fund, Konstantin Simonov, who is considered close to Gazprom, stated this in an interview with the Balkanist YouTube channel, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“Compressor stations are a tricky one. American equipment should be installed at Bulgarian stations, and a certain intrigue arises,” Simonov said.
He recalled that in 2014 Bulgaria abandoned the implementation of a similar gas pipeline project, South Stream, under US pressure, thus losing 750-800 million euros per year for transit.
“The image of this lost money haunts the Bulgarian elite. It is no coincidence that the opposition is now Borisov (Prime Minister of Bulgaria - ed.) actively criticizes the fact that he is not doing everything possible to ensure that this project takes place, but on the contrary, he is doing a lot to ensure that certain delays arise there. A significant part of the problems is connected - there is no conspiracy theory here - with the active work of the United States in Bulgaria and Serbia. But there is no money, and it’s difficult to explain to voters why the government is refusing it,” Simonov said.
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