Earlier this year the US threatened Bulgaria with Maidan 2.0 if they didn’t obey; next Bulgaria commits economic harikiri and pulls out of the South Stream, and Russia agrees a new pipeline with Turkey.
Now, not only Kerry, but Victoria Nuland, the witch of the State Department, are both in Sofia.
“You end ‘energy dependence’ on Russia, and we frack in your country”
Kerry to Bulgaria: End energy dependence on Russia
15
January, 2015
US
Secretary of State John Kerry has called on Bulgaria to end its
dependence on Russia for energy.
John
Kerry made the remarks on Thursday in meetings with Bulgaria's
president, prime minister and foreign minister in the capital Sofia.
Bulgaria
must move toward "diversifying supplies and distribution and
increasing connectivity with neighbors," Kerry told a news
conference with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.
He
said Washington is interested in helping the country take "practical
steps to enhance energy security in Bulgaria and across Europe."
Kerry
also talked about the possible construction of a natural gas pipeline
from Greece and moving ahead with a stalled contract with
Westinghouse Electric Co. to build a nuclear power plant.
"We
hope very much that the issues that (the government and Westinghouse)
are discussing can be quickly resolved," Kerry said.
Kerry,
however, stressed that the US push is not aimed at Russia.
"That
is not directed against any one country," Kerry said. "It
is simply a reality. No country in the world should be totally
dependent for its energy supply on one other country. We need
diversified supplies across the world."
He
said the US will send its special energy envoy to Sofia to look into
how the US Export-Import Bank could finance the country.
Bulgaria
relies on Russia for 85 percent of its gas and 100 percent of its
nuclear power.
On
security issues, Kerry said the US is determined in its commitment to
defend NATO member Bulgaria if it is attacked.
The
US would increase joint military exercises with Bulgaria and also
help the country modernize its defenses, Kerry said.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.