Joint Russian ? Greek - Bulgarian negotiations concerning the matter of construction of an oil pipeline Burgas - Alexandropolis were conducted with breaks, since 1994, and realization of this project according to the preliminary estimations will cost $500-700 million.
Greece and Bulgaria, at last, have achieved the compromise in the civil-engineering design. Because of dispute about the shares, the project was postponed for many years. Now Greece has agreed to give Bulgaria 33,3 % in the project.
Strategic task for Russia in the field of fuel energy sector is a joint program with the European Union, which, at last, can be carried out as Greece already presides in the EU.
In December 2001 during the visit of Russian President, Putin, to Greece, he has signed with Greek President, Stefanopulos, the preliminary Feasibility Report for construction of the transbalkan exporting oil pipeline Burgas - Alexandropolis. According to the project the 285-kilometer oil pipeline should connect ports Burgas in Bulgaria and Alexandropolis in the north Greece, which will allow Russia to export petroleum through Black Sea to ports of Aegean Sea around the Turkish passage Bosphorus.
The Balkan petroleum consortium will take part in construction. This organization, which consists of "Rosneft'", "Slavneft'", "Transepts'", "Stroitransgas", "Orel - oil", Bulgarian companies Bulgarian Petrol Holding Group and YUkos Petroleum Bulgaria, is engaged in promotion of Russian petroleum through Bulgaria to other Balkan countries. Construction of an oil pipeline Burgas - Alexandropolis through which Russian, Kazakhstan and, probably, the Azerbaijan petroleum will be delivered from Bulgaria to Greece is favorable for the consortium too.
The project is especially favorable for Russia and Kazakhstan, which signed in 2001 the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the field of transportation of petroleum for 15 years in which, the question of functioning of an oil pipeline Burgas - Alexandropolis is also reflected.
Construction of a new oil pipeline is necessary, firstly, in connection with growing volumes of oil transportation through the Black Sea. To unload passages it is necessary to build roundabout oil pipelines.
Secondly, in connection with the fact that Turkey has toughened requirements for passing by tankers the zones of the Black Sea passages, having lifted a payment for pass through Bosporus and Dardanelles. Besides Turkey has in a stock the project of a 140-kilometer ship canal supported by the government in the European part of the country, which should connect Black and the Aegean seas. Though Turkey is not capable of realizing this project, and the world community hardly will agree to closing of a downpour zone to please especially Turkey. As besides Kazakhstan and Russia, in the civil-engineering design of oil pipeline Burgas - Alexandropolis the powerful transnational companies take part, which also don?t need the paid Turkish channel.
Author: Nana Bendukidze
