Strojtransgaz withdraws from the South Stream project in Bulgaria

Russian Strojtransgaz, whose main shareholder is a businessman, Genady Timchenko, withdrew from the project of South Stream gas pipeline construction in the territory of Bulgaria, Timchenko said in his statement for Itar tass

- We won the tender, we were getting ready to contribute to mutual business but as you saw, (the American senator John) McKane travelled to Bulgaria and convinced local authorities to reject our services. We withdrew from the project in order not to endanger it. It was planned that Strojtransgaz lays the first road line of gas pipeline of 500 km at the territory of Bulgaria. We will now be replaced by Centargaz which is a part of Gazprom – Timchenko explained.

He added that his company participated in the large international projects, that it was building a part of the North Stream between Germany and the Chez Republic as well as that it was installing pipelines in Arabian countries.

In May, Strojtransgaz consortium, comprising Russian Strojtransgaz and Bulgarian Gasprojekt won the tender for design works, equipment and material delivery, construction and assembling works, staff training and release in exploitation of the main pipleie South Stream in Bulgaria.

At the public tender, released in December 2013, 11 companies from Austria, Belgium, Germany, India, Italy, ,Russia, Switzerland and Japan participated, Itar tas reminded.

After the visit of the American congressman in Bulgaria, the Government in Sofia froze the South Stream project implementation. Then, as Russian agency reports, at the meeting with the Bulgarian Prime Minister, Plamen Oresarski, senator said that the South Stream project needs less of a Russian participation.