Gazprom

"Privatization investigation could damage ties with Russia"

BELGRADE -- Boris Tadić has said that an investigation into the privatization of NIS, announced this week, "may jeopardize our relations with Russia."

The confrontation between the Russia and the West over Ukraine will not cancel the planned construction of the South Stream gas pipeline, according to OMV CEO Gerhard Roiss.

Roiss, as cited by RIA Novosti, commented that the gas pipeline project was a 50-year project and a delay of a few months was not an issue.

Russian company Stroytransgaz, which had been commissioned the construction of South Stream in Bulgaria, is pulling out of the gas pipeline project.

The announcement was made by the subcontractor's majority shareholder Gennady Timchenko in an interview with Russian news agency ITAR-TASS.

PM: Contract with Fiat will remain secret

BELGRADE -- PM Aleksandar Vučić was in parliament on Thursday where he answered deputies' questions, and revealed that the Fiat contract would not be made public.

Regarding the contract "with NIS," reports quoted Vučić as saying that he "made remarks personally to Russian President Vladimir Putin."

Bulgaria's Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed that 359 da of woodland were sold to South Stream Bulgaria in July.

The ministry's press office made the announcement after the investigative website Bivol.bg published a report on the deal.

Ukraine's state-owned utility Naftogaz has insisted that conditions of gas transit to Europe previously agreed with Russian concern Gazprom be revised.

Montenegro's Economy Minister Vladimir Kavaric announced that his country desired to be included in the South Stream gas pipeline project.

The resignation of the loyal to Moscow Bulgarian government may cause serious problems for Gazprom and the South Stream project, writes the Russian newspaper Kommersant. 

The Bulgarian Energy holding surprisingly decided to postpone a decision whether to receive a EUR 620 M from Gazprom for the construction of the South Stream pipeline.

BEH had planned to boost the capital of South Stream Bulgaria (a joint venture of the holding and Russian energy concern Gazprom) with the funds.