Greek Deputy Energy Minister Yiannis Maniatis says his country may take steps to push through plans for the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline in the near future, Athens News Agency said.
"A diplomatic initiative, with proper preparations and methodology, will probably arise in the near future. We consider that this will benefit our national interests," Maniatis told Greek lawmakers late on Monday.
Burgas-Alexandroupolis is a project between Russia, Greece and Bulgaria to pump Russian and Caspian oil from the Bulgarian Black Sea port of Burgas to the Greek Aegean port of Alexandroupolis. The three countries signed an agreement to build the 280-km (174 mile) Trans-Balkan pipeline in 2007, following several years of talks.
Bulgaria has said it may withdraw from the project because of envoronmental concerns and doubts about the project's profitability. The country has not invested in the project since the summer of 2009, when Boyko Borisov, the leader of the right-wing Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, became the country's prime minister.
Earlier this month, Boyko said Bulgaria was withdrawing from the project, but later said the final decision had not yet been made.
Maniatis said the Greek authorities were concerned by Bulgaria's moves and criticized the Bulgarian prime minister for his controversial statements.
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said in mid-February that the construction of the pipeline could start in six months. Once completed, the pipeline will pump 35 million metric tons of oil a year (257 million bbl), a volume that could eventually be increased to 50 million metric tons (368 million bbl).
Dimitris Sioufas from the opposition New Democracy party told the Athens-based legislature on Monday that the Greek government should do more to push the project through.
"The Burgas-Alexandroupolis project in the first oil pipeline in decades to be built in the European territory, which will strengthen the energy security of Western markets," he said.
Under an inter-governmental agreement on the construction of the pipeline, Russia holds a 51% stake in the project, while Greece and Bulgaria hold 24.5% each.
ATHENS, June 22 (RIA Novosti)
