/ world today news/ No country, apart from Bulgaria, on the route from Russia to Central Europe has such a technical and financial readiness to start construction literally from tomorrow.
In the summer of 2013, exactly two years ago, when “Nabucco” was consigned to history, for the first time I sat down at the negotiating table with the Russians on “South Stream”. Diversification of supplies to Bulgaria seemed like a good wish after the loss of Nabucco. And the memory of the gas crisis from the winter of 2009 stood in our heads as a warning sign about the risks to security of supply. Diversification and security of supply – these were the two “fulcrums” to which, I confess, I adhered both during those negotiations and later.
After just a few months, we marked a point with diversification – “Bulgartransgaz” signed a contract with the consortium “Shah Deniz 2” (Azerbaijan) for the supply of 1 billion cubic meters of Azeri natural gas. But the fuel would come to Bulgaria after 2020 at the earliest. In the best case, almost a decade in which we had to guarantee security of supply for the state, the economy, and the household. At the same time, the Maidan in Ukraine, where the only gas pipeline to Southeast Europe passes, had begun to burn.
The arsenal of “philes” and “phobes” comes into play
I am surprised that under these circumstances, for two years, we politicians have not been able to put South Stream at the center of national interest. We turned him into a bone of contention. The full arsenal of “philes” and “phobes” involved. The fabric of our recent and distant history has been turned several times to prove that dependencies will also flow through the pipes of the project. A very noisy minority distorted the facts surrounding the project beyond recognition and turned them into media horrors.
However, outside the media, from my serious conversations with serious politicians from the entire party spectrum, I have always come away with the assurance that the “South Stream” project is important for Bulgaria. The cycle of political crisis in the last two years, however, left the serious theses without continuation and entangled “South Stream” in the conjunctural political and electoral process.
I hope we have come out of the turbulence, because it is seething and seething around us and it is time to defend the interests of the state and the economy.
Security of natural gas supply is one of those national interests.
Objectively, Russia and the EU remain partners
The South Stream gas pipeline was planned precisely as the key direct link between the large deposits of natural gas in Russia and consumers in Europe. The “green” sources of energy, heavily promoted in Europe, cannot replace the growing need for natural gas in Europe. And despite the sometimes dramatic twists and turns in the talks on the project, for people looking ahead, it is clear that Russia and the EU are and will remain partners. So much for the topic of whether “South Stream” is a European project or not.
For Bulgaria, in the first place, it guarantees the security of supplies directly from the manufacturer. If the plan had been followed, the first natural gas from the project should have come in 2018.
Then comes the strategic goal: Bulgaria – a gas transmission and gas distribution center in Eastern Europe. At one point, it seemed almost real, and we accelerated the construction of gas interconnections with neighboring countries.
That was two years ago and it should still be our big plan – security of supplies, strategic energy positioning in Europe, diversification of routes through South Stream and diversification of routes and supplies through the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline.
The project can make the economy competitive
The economy is also part of this plan.
“South Stream” will lead to lower gas prices for the Bulgarian economy. I am opening this bracket because today in our country industry is taking to the streets to protest high energy prices that are undermining its competitiveness.
“South Stream” is also the largest international infrastructure and investment project planned in Bulgaria for the last few decades. Which means employment, income, new business, revenue for the budget.
11 regions and 37 municipalities – the path of the route is also a path of benefits for a large part of Bulgaria, mainly economically declining regions. According to preliminary analyses, its construction will create nearly 5,000 jobs. Construction companies, transport companies, manufacturers, suppliers, traders, service companies will receive orders and resource for development. Let’s not forget that Bulgarian taxpayers’ money will not be spent on this project, quite the opposite – the benefits for the budget in the form of taxes, fees, social security will be in the billions.
I deliberately do not write about South Stream in the past tense. The project should not be crossed out. Not only because of everything listed above. Bulgaria’s readiness gives me a reason for this. No other country in the region along the route from Russia to Central Europe has such technical readiness – to start construction literally from tomorrow. This project must take place through the territory of Bulgaria, regardless of how it will be called, regardless of possible changes in its parameters. I think we are ripe for a political consensus on it. Big projects shouldn’t divide us into “philes” and “phobes”. We can only be Bulgarianophiles.
Write-off Life, July 31, 2015
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