Energy issues in GdanskDuring the international activities in Poland on the occasion of the anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, the Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin is to hold talks with foreign leaders, including the Prime Ministers of Bulgaria and France Boyko Borisov and François Fillon as well as with the chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel.

The deputy head of the government staff Yuri Ushakov announced that one of the issues to be discussed is the coactivity in the field of energy cooperation. He reminds that last week there was a phone conversation between Borisov and Putin and declared it to be “quite constructive”.

“We heard the statements that Bulgaria made after the victory of Borisov”, Ushakov pointed out. After the victory at the Parliamentary election in Bulgaria Borisov said that the talks on common power projects with Russia, including the construction of the Bulgarian section of South Stream and Belene NPP, should be discontinued.

“During the conversation Boyko Borisov expressed a wish to hear the Russian ministers’ standpoints on these projects. Besides, nothing proved the intention of Bulgaria to give up the agreements, reached in the sphere”, Ushakov commented on the conversation. He added that the states have agreed to continue the dialogue in the same constructive tone in Poland.

International observers paid special attention to the meeting of Putin with his Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borisov that, after assuming the power in July, said he is to re-consider the former government’s agreements on projects for energy cooperation with Russia.

“The tough-minded Boyko Borisov will not restrict the cooperation with Russia. He is just looking for more favourable conditions”, Aleksandar Pavic, expert at the Institute for Political Studies in Belgrade, thinks.

“In reference to South Stream, there were controversial points about the construction: what amount of materials will be bought in Bulgaria and how exactly the construction will be implemented”, the analyst at the Center for Political Conjuncture of Russia Dmitry Abzalov explained.