Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov told a conclusive news conference at the Energy Summit "Natural Gas for Europe. Security and Partnership" here on Saturday that he sees as an "extraordinary achievement" of the forum the fact that the text of the Declaration of the Summit is consensual.

The Declaration formulates common principles and common rules agreed by countries representing various regions and producing, transit and consuming countries. "Each one of the countries declared their new principles and ideas at the time of the meeting," Purvanov noted. He cited the document as saying that "the spirit of dialogue and understanding prevailed in all our discussions."

"I am glad that the European position was categorically defended from beginning to end at this forum," the President said, adding that, at the same time, the place of each of the participants down the chain of natural gas extraction, transmission and consumption was outlined and respected.

Purvanov noted that the forum was "real life" and there was nothing stage-managed there, even though a number of expert meetings on the wording of the Declaration had been held. "The clash of views happened, but the convergence of the separate positions happened as well," the head of State noted.

"Each of the participating countries clearly set forth their positions on the principles, rules and mechanisms on the agenda of the forum. The principle of transparency was justified very categorically, and the principle of non-discrimination in natural gas supply was upheld very seriously," the President said.

He is pleased that the forum provided a venue for bilateral meetings as well, and helped build confidence between countries holding different views.

Purvanov said he was authorized by both Russia and the US to say they that highly appreciate the results of the Sofia Energy Summit, that these results have given an impetus to the bilateral Russian-American dialogue and that both countries are pleased with holding an energy dialogue for the first time in years here in Sofia. "I think that this benefit of the Sofia Energy Summit, too, deserves to be assessed on its merits," the President said.

"Considering that confidence exists not just in these official public statements but also in the dialogue between the separate participants in the process, I see this as further proof that the Sofia Energy Summit attained its objectives and intended purpose," the head of State said.

The President also said that Bulgaria has always stood up for its own and for the European interests from the very start of the energy dialogue with Russia. This country believes that the energy agreements should be moved in a package: the two sides are working on a new agreement for South Stream to step up its implementation and at the same time Bulgaria insists that its deal with Gazprom should be re-thought and that intermediaries should be removed from gas supply. He recalled that Moscow had no objections at political level to the idea of dropping the intermediaries. "The natural gas and energy people cannot be the ones to determine the political agenda. Experts' job is to put to practice what has been decided at political level," Purvanov said.

The agreement on South Stream should be signed as soon as Bulgaria and Russia iron out the differences. That could happen several days from now, during a working visit to Moscow by Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev April 26-28, or later, at a meeting of the South Stream partner countries to be held on the initiative of Russian Energy Minister Sergey Shmatko, probably next month.

President Purvanov warned against overexpectations from Prime Minister Stanishev's Moscow visit. "It is important to move forward but it would be no disaster if South Stream is not signed now," he said. He added though that waiting until after May is undesireable because Bulgaria will be in an election campaign. "Then comes a period of formation of a new government and formulation of its priorities, and delaying the signing [of South Stream] could affect adversely the whole process."

He reiterated the Bulgarian position that the ownership of the existing gas transmission network should remain unchanged and that South Stream will use new infrastructure. That was agreed upon during the Sofia visit of former President Vladimir Putin last year and Moscow voiced no objections to it during his own visit to Russia earlier this year, he said.

Asked to comment a remark by a Gazprom official of Friday that as of next year they would be dealing directly with gas users rather than with Bulgargaz which they consider to be an intermediary, Purvanov said that Gazprom are not the ones to say whom they would deal with in Bulgaria. "I ask for respect for Bulgaria's sovergnty. If they have specific reasons, they should make them public," he said.

Commenting speculations about the differences between the Bulgarian and the Russian position on South Stream, Russian Energy Minister Shmatko said after the official session of the Energy Summit, "The truth is they are not at all different". He also said that the papers for the project have reached such a stage of preparedness that they can be signed in the nearest future. He also said that Gazprom and the Bulgarian Energy Holding have brought closer their positions in the recent days.

Asked by the press to comment President Purvanov's remark about gas industry people not being the ones to determine the political agenda, Shmatko said that agreements are made on political level but some things need to be decided between the corporations. He added though that corporations should not be allowed to stand in the way of political agreements. "Bulgaria and Russia have made a political decision for the construction of South Stream and corporations should do the work it takes."

Taking a question about the payment of compensations by Gazprom to Bulgaria for the disruption of gas supplies in January this year, Shmatko said that the best thing is to follow the spirit and the letter of the effective agreements.

The Russian Energy Minister also said that work on the Belene N-plant continues, that it is a unique and viable project and its implementation is not in jeopardy. He added that bridge financing need to be found for the project and that the Russian side is considering very carefully all available options for providing financial support.

At a news conference after the Sofia Energy Summit, Ambassador Richard L. Morningstar, Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, said that the United States support Nabucco but it is just one project, a piece in the puzzle, and not the only answer to energy security.

He also said that Nabucco needs to be based on profitability and on the interests of the European countries and companies, and the interests of the countries in the region.

There are specific ways for the US to support Nabucco, economic ways, not direct subsidies but international financing and access to funding. The decisions are to be made by the participating countries and the US will help them through the negotiations in a constructive manner, Ambassador Morningstar said.

The US position on South Stream is neither "for" nor "against", he said taking another question. It has doubts about it, has fears that it will be too expensive and is not sure where the gas will come for it. In Morningstar's words, there are serious question-markts about the project's viability. He said though that the final decision is to be made by Bulgaria and the other countries.

Source: BTA