F*ck the EU! Bulgaria Does a Complete 180, Comes Running Back to Bargaining Table With Russia
After a 4-year break, Russian-Bulgarian relations saw a drastic thaw. It's been only a week since the visit of Bulgarian President Rumen Radev to Russia, but the country's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, also arrived in Moscow with assurances of the most friendly intentions and a proposal to resume projects frozen by Bulgaria itself: the construction of a gas pipeline to Bulgaria (but now via Turkey) and the nuclear power plant in Belene. Russia is, of course, ready for closer cooperation with Bulgaria because the countries' relations, as Vladimir Putin puts it, "rest on centuries-old traditions of friendship and neighborliness, as well as the cultural and spiritual kinship of our peoples". But still, solid financial guarantees are needed now.
We've already been burned once. When Bulgaria suddenly abandoned the South Stream project 4 years ago, our losses amounted to about 800 million euros. So, Russia certainly doesn't want to step on the same rake twice.
Pavel Zarubin is reporting on the current situation and the prospects for the resumption Russian-Bulgarian cooperation.
It was supposed to be a city of nuclear power plant staff. Everything has been built: houses for 360 families, shops, a swimming pool, even home intercoms have been installed. But the project was abandoned during its final stage. The Bulgarian city of Belene, which could have been a scientific symbol of the country, fell victim to geopolitics. After years of conservation, it's clear that it would be an excellent village of power engineers. Expensively furnished balconies and apartments, tile pathways, gradually being destroyed by weeds everywhere the infrastructure is covered with grass, rust, cobwebs, and cracked glass. The city itself is dying out too. Trains don't come here anymore because there are practically no passengers or cargo.
Pyotr Dulev, ex-mayor of Belene: "If there was a station here, the city would revive. But now the population has decreased by almost twofold. It's a shame".
At the other end of the country, in the port of Varna, the pipes for yet another derailed Bulgarian-Russian project — the South Stream gas pipeline — keep gathering dust, although its construction was about to begin a few years ago.
Volen Sidorov, United Patriots faction chairman: "American senators came here and said: "Stop, it won't do".
Here's the archival footage. The omnipresent McCain came to Sofia. Then an inexperienced member of the European Union, Bulgaria tried to please Brussels and Washington even to the detriment of themselves.
"No job, no enterprises".
"Yes, many moved abroad. I, for one, am 27, and spend all my time in Denmark. I have a hard job, I chop meat at a factory. If there was a nuclear power plant here, we'd stay home".
Now there are inscriptions: "Europe is investing in rural areas". Belene saw a small stadium built with EU money and the EU flag waving over it. What an alternative to a nuclear power plant and tens of thousands of jobs!
Therefore, the whole of Bulgaria carefully followed the prime minister's visit to the Kremlin. It's the first Russian-Bulgarian summit in almost 10 years. Boyko Borisov immediately opened his arms, although Vladimir Putin at first only offered his hand. The Bulgarian prime minister demonstrated his new attitude most clearly at the press conference.
Boyko Borisov, Bulgaria's PM: "We know about the difficult relations in the past and are grateful to our colleagues for not being vindictive I am to blame for creating certain tensions, and I truly take responsibility for the situation".
Vladimir Putin: “It's a shame, and, as far as I can see, Bulgaria as well regrets that the South Stream project was not implemented, because it would have greatly benefited Bulgaria. We can approach the matter from a different side, in this case via Turkey".
If the South Stream project had been initially implemented, Bulgaria would be a powerful gas hub, directly receiving gas from Russia via a pipeline laid along the bottom of the Black Sea to further supply it to other countries. But after the contract failed, Moscow and Ankara announced the construction of the Turkish Stream: gas will first flow to Turkey, and then to other countries. And now Sofia asks that at least a branch of Turkish Stream go to Bulgaria, explicitly admitting that while it was following directions from Brussels and Washington, the countries in charge of the EU put their own interests first.
— But it was clear several years ago that Bulgaria lost a most profitable contract.
Rumen Petrov, head of Alternative for Bulgarian Revival party: It was always clear, it's not just double standards, but insanity.
Boyko Borisov, Bulgaria's PM: "We are the most loyal and the most disciplined country in the European Union. This is the reason why all of the pipelines bypassed our territory. These pipelines now go through Turkey, a NATO member, as well as Greece and Italy, who are also NATO members. We had backed out of these projects for the sake of principle. So I am very grateful that Russia holds no grudge against us. The senior partner is always more inclined to grant forgiveness.”
Vladimir Putin: "The question of who should be viewed as senior and who as junior is quite confusing for me, since it's usually the senior partner that is expected to foot the bill. We do understand however what this is all about. We do understand, as does Bulgaria, that large-scale projects require guarantees, primarily financial guarantees, which could be executed as either sovereign guarantees granted by the Bulgarian Government or resolutions adopted by the European Commission to this effect. Everyone has a clear understanding of what is going on, and no one wants to see any failures or disruptions again. Gazprom’s total loss due to cancellation of the South Stream accounted to about 800 million euros, which was written off as a loss".
Volen Sidorov: "I remember a movie "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears".
Russia learned its lesson in its relations with Bulgaria, but it won't take offense either as the two nations have always had much in common. This year is the anniversary of the liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman yoke by Russian troops. "Bulgaria is grateful to the Tsar-liberator" The monument to Alexander II in the very center of Sofia is maintained and illuminated in the night. Over the past decades, they tried to erase much from the memory of the Bulgarians but it proved resistant to such geopolitical experiments.
— What do you want? — I'm calling for the Elephant. — What does he want? — He wants a little peanut brittle. — Peanut brittle!.. And for whom? — It's for his little elephant sons.
It is still not uncommon here to teach Russian from birth. The Sofia University has 50 state-funded spots in the Russian language department, but 450 students annually from other departments ask about electives. Many deans have to agree.
Nadya Deleva, Russian language department, Sofia University: Russian is now compulsory.
— Compulsory?
— Yes. For example, in the history department.
Eugene Onegin in the original language. An ordinary evening at the Sofia Opera and Ballet Theater.
But in the building of the Sofia Opera, there's a nightclub called "Dirty Sofia". Due to the difficult economic situation, Bulgaria is a country of contrasts.
It would get 400 million euros annually from the transit of Russian gas through South Stream. In the near future, the companies of the two countries will start talks on cooperation in the Turkish Stream project. The volume of gas through Bulgaria, if the decision is made, will depend on the situation in the European gas market including Nord Stream-2.
Vladimir Putin: "How much will we distribute via the new pipeline? This is the question. How much will still be sent through Ukraine, and we are ready to maintain Ukrainian transit, — this is another question. How much do our consumers need now and how much in the near future? But what we talked about today with the Prime Minister are absolutely realistic points because the work on Turkish Stream is almost complete".
The President of Russia was invited to pay an official visit to Bulgaria for the first time in many years. Despite all the difficulties, even now the economic ties between the two countries are developing. Trade is growing. Lukoil is a multi-billion investor, Rosatom is helping to modernize Kozloduy station. Most Bulgarians are sure that a full-scale restoration of the bilateral relations is simply inevitable.
Svetlana Sharenkova, chairman of Bulgaria-Russia forum: "We're genetically tied. External influence and donations can't erase this connection. 80% of Bulgarians want a steady and fruitful relationship with Russia".
The Belene nuclear power plant may eventually be built too. The residents of the city pin hopes on it.
Pavel Zarubin, Andrey Melnikov, Nikita Fomkin, Yulia Brilyova, Konstantin Rodin for Vesti — News of the Week from Bulgaria.