Vladimir Putin said on August 9, 2016, that Russia has asked Bulgaria to provide legal warranty in order to restore the natural gas pipeline project South Stream.
Putin noted that Russia saw that Bulgaria was ready to return to the implementing of the project, having put it on hold at the request of the European Commission.
«We suffered certain losses from the refusal of our European partners to return to this project. Mere intentions are not enough now, we need absolutely ironclad guarantees of a legal nature. They do not exist,» Putin told a press conference.
«Russia never politicize issues of economic cooperation», Putin has told the media, amid efforts to renew energy cooperation with Russia from the Bulgarian side.
«We see that the Bulgarian side would like to return to this project... But intentions alone are not enough,» the Russian Head of state has said.