Russia concerned over EU statements about necessity to revise South Stream documents

Russia is concerned over the European Union’s statements about the necessity to revise the agreements between Russia and South Stream project-partners, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday in his interview to Serbian Politics newspaper.

He added that South Stream is Russia’s contribution to energy safety on the continent, because it helps to diversify the routes of gas transportation to the European countries. “In this context the EU statements about the necessity to revise the intergovernmental agreements between Russia and the South Stream project-partners, including Serbia, to bring them in  accordance with the EU Third Energy Package, causes concern and bewilderment,” added Lavrov.

Minister added that the European Union legislation must not hinder observation of the earlier achieved bilateral agreements. 

Lavrov also added that Russia has offered EU to conclude a special bilateral agreement regulating the principles of operation of the trans-border energy infrastructure and it has already worked out and submitted the draft of the document to the European Union.

On December 6, 2013 the Russian Energy Ministry reported that it has received an official letter from the European Commission about the necessity to revise the contracts concluded with the transit-countries to build the gas pipeline. EU believes that the bilateral agreements on the South Stream with several European countries, such as Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary. Greece, Slovenia,  Croatia and Serbia, violate the EU legislation. The European Commission expects their revision.—0--