| Gazprom: South Stream via Zaječar cheaper |
| 26 May 2009 | 12:42
| Source:
B92 |
NIŠ --
Gazprom believes the main route of the South Stream pipeline through Serbia should go through Zaječar because it is cheaper, says Srbijagas CEO Dušan Bajatović.
Opposition officials in Niš’s local assembly walked out of a meeting regarding the South Stream pipeline’s route, unhappy at Bajatović’s statement. However, he assured them that as far as Niš was concerned, there would be no changes to the earlier plan.
However, opposition party officials insisted on the question of how much Niš would lose if the pipeline went through Zaječar instead.
Ruling coalition officials in Niš accused the opposition of trying to politicize the issue.
The assembly hall in Niš is too small to house all the political officials and members of the public interested in getting information regarding the South Stream project.
Bajatović explained that there would be no changes to the earlier plan as far as Niš was concerned.
The main gas hub would remain in Niš, while Zaječar would receive its gas from Niš. There would be enough gas for industry, gas power plants and remote heating.
He said that the initial plan was good, but that political discussions were finished and that the new plan was a commercial arrangement.
Bajatović explained that this route was the fruit of discussions between nine potential contractors in the construction of the pipeline, and that the final route had been determined by Gazprom.
Niš Mayor Miloš Simonović said that despite assurances that Niš would get what it had initially been promised, opposition officials were exploiting the issue to gain cheap political points.
The meeting with Bajatović was organized by Niš Assembly Speaker Mile Ilić.
He said that the topic of the pipeline would also be discussed during Wednesday’s assembly session.
Officials in Niš expect a guarantee for the gasification of southern Serbia to be signed on July 1 by Energy Ministry officials and Srbijagas.
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