Bulgaria can play key role in EU gas distribution – Foreign Minister

Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister has re-affirmed Sofia’s goal to play a bigger role in the European energy sector, despite the cancellation of South Stream, the Russian gas pipeline that would have crossed Bulgaria on its way to other EU markets.

At a meeting with Bulgarian MEPs, Mitov said that the EU had an interest in Bulgaria’s proposal to build a gas hub – a plan put forth last year by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov after Russia scrapped the 63 billion cubic metres South Stream, claiming the European Commission was throwing obstacles in the pipeline’s way.

Under Borissov’s plan, Russia would build the underwater stretch of the pipeline and sell the gas from the hub in Bulgaria, although Moscow has shown no interest in this proposal, focusing instead on redirecting the route of the pipeline to Turkey and renaming the project Turkish Stream.