The Russian gas giant Gazprom intends to built a natural gas pipeline across Bulgaria, so that Russia would be enabled to provide its gas to the Southern and Central Europe. In case the construction project becomes real, Bulgaria gains an important position on the Balkans gas market, says Rumen Ovcharov, the Bulgarian Energy Minister.
Bulgaria would earn some 2 billion dollars each year from the gas transit, instead of the current 600 million. The announcement was made the same day the former EU reporter for Bulgaria, Geoffrey Van Orden, warned on Bulgaria's increasing dependence on the Russian gas.
Gazprom delivered 3.2 million cubic meters of natural gas towards Bulgaria in 2006, most of it in transit towards Turkey, Greece and Macedonia.
