Azerbaijan, Baku, April 4 / Trend A.Badalova /
Nabucco gas pipeline project was named an "object of national importance" by the Government of Bulgaria at the Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday, Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH (NIC) reported.
"This is a landmark decision to support an accelerated implementation process that underlines the public and strategic benefits of the Nabucco pipeline project," NIC statement says.
According to Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH Managing Director Reinhard Mitschek, the 'object of national importance' priority status of Nabucco will allow rapid implementation and construction of the pipeline on Bulgarian territory.
"Nabucco is the flagship project in the southern corridor because it is the best commercial and strategic option to diversify gas supply of Bulgaria, and Europe," Mitschek said.
According to NIC report, with today's decision of Bulgarian government the project was declared to be an "object of national importance" according to the State Property Act.
"This is a statute that aims to stress the priority of the project and is given to the most important investment initiatives to be realized by the state. The designation of "object of national importance is also favorable for procedures required to obtain construction permits," the report says.
In March the Bulgarian cabinet approved an agreement between Nabucco Gas Pipeline Bulgaria EOOD and Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH (NIC), signed in June, 2011. The goal of the agreement is further specification of the phases of Nabucco project implementation in Bulgaria. By approving it, the Bulgarian cabinet proposes to the country's Parliament to ratify the contract.
Nabucco is one of the Southern Gas Corridor projects, designed to transport gas from the Caspian region and Middle East to the European countries. The project's shareholders are Bulgarian Energy Holding, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas, Austrian OMV, German RWE and Hungary's FGSZ.
Gas to be produced within the second phase of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas condensate field development is considered as the main source for Nabucco.