Stanishev: Russia is still a Priority Trading Partner for Bulgaria

Prime minister Sergei Stanishev gave an interview to ITAR-TASS in regard with his upcoming work visit in Moscow in the end of the month. The Prime Minister commented that Russian market is traditionally open to Bulgarian goods, news.bg reported.

Stanishev expressed his confidence that the results from the forthcoming elections will not break the line of seeking contacts on the basis of common goals and values, a basis for the contacts with Russia in the past years. "In this regard Sofia is an additional serious channel for communication between Moscow and Brussels", Bulgariain PM highlighted.

According to him, the dialogue between Russia and the EU has to be active and their partnership - comprehensive and long-term. "The only way to cope with the problems we face is to work together", he explained.

Commenting on the gas crisis in January, Stanishev said, that it was unacceptable and that is should not reoccur. He expressed hope that Russia and Ukraine would prove to be reliable suppliers in the future.

"For Bulgaria the crisis was yet another proof of its necessity to work towards the diversification of energy supplies and towards guaranteeing energy independence, including with the support of EU funds", Stanishev emphasized.

In his opinion, the strategic projects in this direction are the construction of Belene NPP, South Stream pipeline, and the route Bourgas-Aleksandrupolis. Another priority project is Nabucco Piplene, oil pipeline AMBO and the liquefied gas terminal.