Bulgarian news agency BGNES quoted Mr Boiko Borisov Bulgarian Prime Minister as saying that Bulgaria has no intentions of reimbursing Russia for the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline project.

Mr Sergei Shmatko Russian Energy Minister said that Russia would calculate all the costs on the construction of the Trans-Balkan oil pipeline and would provide Bulgaria with all the necessary documents for payment as Bulgaria was failing to finance its part of the project and abandoned the project. At the end of November, Bulgaria’s debt was 6.2 million euros.

The agency quoted the prime minister as saying that “I respect Mr Shmatko and wish him a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We will not give Russia a single lev for the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline project.”

Burgas-Alexandroupolis is a project between Russia, Greece and Bulgaria to pump Russian and Caspian oil from the Bulgarian Black Sea port of Burgas to the Greek Aegean port of Alexandroupolis. The three countries signed an agreement to build the 280 kilometers Trans-Balkan pipeline in 2007 following several years of talks.

(Sourced from BGNES)