EU main: New Greece-Bulgaria fuel pipeline ‘means freedom’
SOFIA, Bulgaria — The president of the European Union’s govt arm traveled Saturday to Bulgaria for the opening of a natural gasoline hyperlink between the country and Greece, emphasizing the EU’s willpower to quit relying on Russian vitality imports.
Talking at a ceremony in Sofia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the pipeline as an important contribution to limiting options for Russia to use its gas and oil reserves to blackmail or punish the EU.
“This pipeline adjustments the power protection situation for Europe. This undertaking implies freedom,“ von der Leyen explained to an viewers that involved heads of condition and federal government from the area.
The European Fee committed approximately 250 million euros to finance the undertaking, von der Leyen said.
The value of the Fuel Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria pipeline, which was finished in July, has appreciably risen just after Moscow made the decision to switch its organic gasoline deliveries into a political weapon.
In late April, Russia lower off gasoline materials to Bulgaria following it refused Moscow’s desire to pay back for the deliveries in rubles, Russia’s forex. Relations concerning the two previous Soviet bloc allies have tanked in recent months, and previous month Bulgaria ordered the expulsion of 70 Russian diplomats, triggering an indignant reaction from Moscow.
“People in Bulgaria and across Europe are experience the implications of Russia’s war. But many thanks to tasks like this, Europe will have ample gas for the winter,” von der Leyen said. “Europe has every thing it desires to crack free from our dependency on Russia. It is a matter of political will.
The 182-kilometer (115-mile) conduit runs from the northeastern Greek city of Komotini, exactly where it links to the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline, up to Stara Zagora in central Bulgaria. Strategies simply call for an preliminary ability of 3 billion cubic meters of fuel a 12 months, and the prospect of foreseeable future growth to 5 billion cubic meters.
The Bulgarian govt of the task, Teodora Georgieva, mentioned the pipeline would enable offer other international locations in southeastern Europe.
“We have the chance to offer fuel to the Western Balkans, to guarantee materials to Moldova and Ukraine,” Georgieva explained.
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Adhere to AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
SOFIA, Bulgaria — The president of the European Union’s govt arm traveled Saturday to Bulgaria for the opening of a natural gasoline hyperlink between the country and Greece, emphasizing the EU’s willpower to quit relying on Russian vitality imports.
Talking at a ceremony in Sofia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the pipeline as an important contribution to limiting options for Russia to use its gas and oil reserves to blackmail or punish the EU.
“This pipeline adjustments the power protection situation for Europe. This undertaking implies freedom,“ von der Leyen explained to an viewers that involved heads of condition and federal government from the area.
The European Fee committed approximately 250 million euros to finance the undertaking, von der Leyen said.
The value of the Fuel Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria pipeline, which was finished in July, has appreciably risen just after Moscow made the decision to switch its organic gasoline deliveries into a political weapon.
In late April, Russia lower off gasoline materials to Bulgaria following it refused Moscow’s desire to pay back for the deliveries in rubles, Russia’s forex. Relations concerning the two previous Soviet bloc allies have tanked in recent months, and previous month Bulgaria ordered the expulsion of 70 Russian diplomats, triggering an indignant reaction from Moscow.
“People in Bulgaria and across Europe are experience the implications of Russia’s war. But many thanks to tasks like this, Europe will have ample gas for the winter,” von der Leyen said. “Europe has every thing it desires to crack free from our dependency on Russia. It is a matter of political will.
The 182-kilometer (115-mile) conduit runs from the northeastern Greek city of Komotini, exactly where it links to the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline, up to Stara Zagora in central Bulgaria. Strategies simply call for an preliminary ability of 3 billion cubic meters of fuel a 12 months, and the prospect of foreseeable future growth to 5 billion cubic meters.
The Bulgarian govt of the task, Teodora Georgieva, mentioned the pipeline would enable offer other international locations in southeastern Europe.
“We have the chance to offer fuel to the Western Balkans, to guarantee materials to Moldova and Ukraine,” Georgieva explained.
———
Adhere to AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine