Moscow's Ambassador to Sofia has said
Russia stands ready to renew
construction of abandoned Belene
nuclear power plant (NPP) project, but
may also draw in an investor to work on it.
In an interview with bTV station,
Anatoly Makarov has said that
Russiais not the only country eyeing the project in case Bulgaria is interesting in
giving it another lease of life following the early election.
Bulgaria is heading for a snap vote on March 26, with
some polls predicting
the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) - which speaks in favour of the
Belene
NPP - may win.
Sofia abandoned
Belene NPP project under the first government of
Boyko Borisov.
But after Bulgaria paid off its debt to
Russia's Atostroyexport,
imposed after authorities lost an arbitration lawsuit, Borisov's second cabinet
last year expressed interest in potentially renewing the project, but as a
private venture. The decision was partly motivated by the fact that after
paying, Bulgaria received reactors and equipment constructed for the project.
"It is not only
Russia, there are also other states and firms
willing to build Belene," Makarov has said.
He has attributed the end to the project to a "lack of political
will".
Makarov has made it clear
Russia is also interested in taking part
in the so-called Balkan Gas Hub project, an idea pitched by Sofia as a way to
diversify its sources by turning into a transit point. Moscow could only get
involved if there are guarantees from the EU to avoid the fate of
South
Stream - a gas pipeline project which Bulgaria obstructed after being
warned over it by the European Commission.
So far Russian authorities have not voiced stark interest in the Balkan Gas
Hub, with Energy Minister Alexander Novak
previously having played
down
the Bulgarian ambitions.
Moscow, however, has now been signalling it is ready to return to
South
Stream again (after halting it in December 2014 due to Bulgarian and EU
resistance), but
only if there are
"iron-clad guarantees"
.
Makarov has refuted claims of Russian influence on Bulgaria, dismissing
them as part of the "election campaign".
(www.novinite.com)