Eurasia Review: Balkan Region Strives For Energy Stability After South Stream Demise

The news that Russia has abandoned construction of the South Stream pipeline, which would have brought Russian gas to southern Europe, sparked a discussion among the Balkan countries regarding the region’s energy security.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on December 1st in Ankara that Russia is unable to carry out the construction of the pipeline due to the European Union’s opposition. South Stream would have entered European states through Bulgaria, an EU member state, and was planned to carry gas to the Italian city of Treviso.

“Since we have not yet received permission from Bulgaria, Russia cannot continue the implementation of the project in this situation,” Putin told reporters on the fate of the 16-billion euro gas pipeline.
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