Bulgaria suspends work on South Stream gas pipeline

(AGI) Sofia, June 8 - Bulgaria has suspended the constructionwork on the South Stream project, a gas pipeline designed todeliver Russian gas to Europe without passing through Ukraine."We have received a request from the European Commission, afterwhich I ordered the work to be suspended. Further action willbecome clear after additional consultation with Brussels", saidBulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharrski. A few days ago, EUCommission President Jose Manuel Barroso had threatened tobegin an infringement procedure against "other EU countries"should they fail to comply with EU rules for implementing theSouth Stream project, and announced the opening of a procedureagainst Bulgaria itself for irregular tendering in the SouthStream contracts. (AGI) . .