BELGRADE, June 9 (RIA Novosti) - The South Stream gas pipeline project is continuing as planned and scheduled, and Belgrade has not made any new decisions, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said Monday.
“The decision must be made by the government which has not held a session yet. For us everything is going as planned. If changes are to be made, the government will make the decision and you will be informed,” Vucic said.
Earlier in the day, Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction, Zorana Mihajlović, announced that Serbia was suspending its participation in the South Stream pipeline project, specifying that the move was triggered by Bulgaria’s decision to suspend its participation.
Sunday’s media reports said that Bulgaria was putting works on the project on hold following a request by the European Commission.
According to Bulgarian Economy and Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev, the country was not giving up its plans on the South Stream construction, considering the implementation of the project inevitable. Stoynev also stressed that all pending issues between the sides would soon be resolved.
Russia has been working on the South Stream project providing for the construction of a pipeline bypassing Ukraine since 2012. The pipeline will transport Russian natural gas across the Black Sea to Bulgaria and other EU countries. First commercial deliveries via this route are expected in the first quarter of 2016, with the pipeline becoming fully operational in 2018.
The European Commission insists Russia’s bilateral talks with transit countries Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovenia violate EU legislation.
