The Greek government
has not changed policy regarding the construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis
oil pipeline and is worried about recent negative developments on the part of
Bulgaria, Deputy Energy Minister Yiannis Maniatis told Parliament on Monday
night.
The minister was
answering to a relevant question tabled by the main opposition New Democracy
(ND) party. ND deputies accused the government of "double talk" regarding the
project, which was agreed between Russia, Greece and Bulgaria, when ND was in
office. The Bulgarian government announced its decision to withdraw from the
project two weeks ago, invoking environmental reasons.
ND deputy Dimitris
Avramopoulos, after referring to the efforts deployed by the ND government for
achieving the agreements on the project, he indicated that these agreements
included provisions for compensations that should be paid to the rest of the
parties if one party denounced the agreement on its own
will.
ND deputy and former
development minister Dimitris Sioufas termed, on his part, the
Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline project as "the first European oil pipeline
which is constructed in many decades, thus reinforcing the safety of energy
supplies of western markets."
"You have historic
responsibilities. Our country, many times in the past, has taken initiatives in
order to overcome differences between the Bulgarian and Russian sides. The prime
minister must take initiatives now," Sioufas noted.
Responding, the
deputy minister said that the government would be taking "a diplomatic
initiative, probably in few weeks, but after preparations and in a way that we
consider it serves Greek national interests."