Putin Ally Awarded to Build Bulgarian Part of South Stream

摘要

The contract to build the Bulgarian section of the South Stream pipeline that would deliver Russian gas to Europe bypassing indebted Ukraine has been awarded to a consortium that includes Stroytransgas, which was sanctioned by the US last month along with its shareholder Gennady Timchenko, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin (IOD Apr.29'14). Results of a tender that started in December were announced on Tuesday in Sofia, with the Stroytransgas Consortium of Russia's Stroytransgas and Bulgaria's Gazproekt Jug named the winner. A total of 11 companies from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, India, Japan, Italy, Switzerland and Russia took part in the tender.