Bulgaria stockpiles gas amid Kiev-Moscow standoff
Bulgaria is stockpiling natural gas amid fears that its main supply route -- from Russia through the Ukraine -- may be cut, Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski said Wednesday.
"We started pumping gas into the Chiren underground storage facility last week. In case of a possible cut, the gas in this depot could last for about a month and a half if we ration deliveries," Oresharski told parliament.
"Together with domestic gas we should be relatively fine for almost two months of reduced supply," the premier added.
However, he underlined that there were "no serious grounds to expect cuts in gas supplies at this stage."
Europe as a whole is far less threatened by possible cuts in the Russian gas supply than during previous crises thanks to new pipelines and a mild winter, experts told AFP this week.
- Sapa