OREANDA-NEWS. August 12, 2010. According to the press service of the RF Government Chairman of the RF Government Vladimir Putin in the course of telephone conversation with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov discussed the issues of assistance in forest fire extinguishing in Russia as well as implementation of the NPP projects in Belene and the South Stream.

“Putin thanked the Bulgarian government for the rendered hands-on assistance in forest fires extinguishing in Russia. Here the Russian Prime Minister emphasized that the Bulgarian firemen worked hard in Noginsk and Orekhovo-Zuyevo districts of Moscow region”, the press service informs.

Extremely hot and dry weather having settled in the European part of Russia since mid-June, resulted in development of natural fires in different regions of the country. The heat has caused a very fire hazardous situation. The forest fires are raging in 22 RF subjects. Extremely difficult situation is in Belgorod, Voronezh, Ivanovo, Lipetsk, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, Tambov regions and the Republic of Mordovia. A number of countries including Bulgaria having sent to RF a fire brigade consisting of 100 firemen have offered their assistance in extinguishing of fires in Russia. Besides, the authorities of this country decided to extend visas for Russian tourists who want to delay their return to Russia for 30 days.

“In the course of the conversation other issues concerning bilateral cooperation including the prospects of Belene nuclear power plant project and the South Stream gas pipeline route running across the Bulgarian territory were discussed”, the press service notes.

The South Stream is to become a new route for the Russian gas transportation across the Black Sea to the South and Central European countries. Russia has concluded intergovernmental agreements for construction of the gas pipeline with Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia and Austria. The gas pipeline is to be constructed by the end of 2015. As explained by Boyko Borisov on Saturday, Sofia and Belgrade had arranged about the South Steam route from Bulgaria to Serbia. An international tender for construction of two power units of Belene NPP was issued in 2005 and won in 2006 by Russian Atomstroyexport CJSC. The contractual agreement was signed in January, 2008. The estimated cost of the project was about 4 bln euro for two power units of 1 thousand megawatt capacity each. At the end of October, 2009 RWE, one of the major European energy producers withdrew from Belene NPP project. Its share in the project was 49%, the control stake — 51% belonged to the Bulgarian government. Now Bulgaria is looking for new investors.

In February of the current year Head of Rosatom Sergey Kirienko stated that Russia was ready to finance the NPP construction to the extent of two billion euro till a new strategic investor was found. The experts think that if Bulgaria abandons the NPP project the National Energy Company of Bulgaria can lose more than 1 bln euro.