Russia reportedly to stop gas transit via Ukraine to Turkey from January 2020 – media

Russia's Gazprom Export has informed Bulgarian officials about plans to stop gas transit supplies via the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline from Ukraine to Turkey as of January 2020.

The company sent out an official letter to inform about its plans, Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova said in an interview to Bulgaria's bTV, a private national-wide broadcasting television channel, according to Ukraine's Liga.net information agency.

Petkova said Bulgaria could apply to arbitration against Gazprom to collect transit fees the country should receive under the contract until 2030. This scenario is possible only if the second branch of the TurkStream does not pass through Bulgaria, she said.

At the same time, Gazprom insists that no official letters were sent to the Bulgarian authorities, according to the Russian RBC information agency.

Earlier, the Bulgarian energy minister said Sofia would lose $110 million a year after Russia stops transit through the Trans-Balkan corridor from January 1, 2020.

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Now Bulgaria is almost completely dependent on Russian gas, which it receives through the Ukrainian gas transport system. In addition, Russian energy companies have monopolized the Bulgarian energy market.

In December 2014, Russia suspended the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline, which was to be used to deliver gas through the Black Sea to Bulgaria, over the "non-constructive" position of the European Union.

Instead, Russia decided to focus on the TurkStream project that involves the construction of two gas pipelines with a capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters. The pipes are being laid along the bottom of the Black Sea to the European part of Turkey and farther to the border with Greece. One pipeline will work for the Turkish market, the other one for the countries of Southern and Southeastern Europe.