Bulgaria wants to discuss various forms of Kazakhstan's participation in the Bourgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline project, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin told reporters on the sidelines of a bilateral business forum in Astana on September 4. "We are ready to discuss various forms of Kazakhstan's participation in this project. Of course, when the talks begin we will have specific models for that participation.
The main thing is that there is now interest in this on both the Bulgarian and the Kazakh sides," Interfax quoted Kalfin as saying. All the other project participants also have "objective interest" in seeing Kazakhstan participate, he said.
The Bourgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline was first proposed in 1993. Fourteen years later, on May 25, 2007 Russia, Greece and Bulgaria signed the basic agreement enabling a start to direct implementation of the project, which will move Russian crude from the Bulgarian port of Bourgas to the Greek port of Alexandroupolis and on to foreign markets. The pipeline aims to reduce tanker traffic through the already crowded Bosphorus and Dardanelles.
The main thing is that there is now interest in this on both the Bulgarian and the Kazakh sides," Interfax quoted Kalfin as saying. All the other project participants also have "objective interest" in seeing Kazakhstan participate, he said.
The Bourgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline was first proposed in 1993. Fourteen years later, on May 25, 2007 Russia, Greece and Bulgaria signed the basic agreement enabling a start to direct implementation of the project, which will move Russian crude from the Bulgarian port of Bourgas to the Greek port of Alexandroupolis and on to foreign markets. The pipeline aims to reduce tanker traffic through the already crowded Bosphorus and Dardanelles.
Russia, Bulgaria and Greece signed a long-delayed deal March 15 to build a pipeline across their territories to pump Russian oil further on to Europe. The 280-kilometer (175-mile) Burgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline will carry Russian oil via the Bulgarian Black Sea port of Burgas and Greece's Alexandroupolis on the Aegean to Europe, the U.S. and the Asia-Pacific region.
Following the ratification of the agreement, Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas said the pipeline could be commissioned at the end of 2010 or the beginning of 2011.
Following the ratification of the agreement, Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas said the pipeline could be commissioned at the end of 2010 or the beginning of 2011.
Via: New Europe News
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