Chizhov: South Stream is shut down – negotiations are useless

Any meetings or negotiations about the construction of the South Stream pipeline are evidently useless as the project has been shut down, the permanent representative of Russia in the EU, V. Chizhov said.

Russia didn’t hold any negotiations with the European Commission about this gas pipeline, he says. There were meetings and consultations with 3 countries – the EU participants which had a direct relationship to this project, or participated as partners on its realization, such as Italy or France, as well as the planned transit countries and consumers on the territories of which South Stream was supposed to be constructed, he said.

He said that Europe hadn’t addressed Russia for explanations about the shutdown of the project. “And it seems it does not to plan to address”, Mr. Chizov said.

“Has the project been shut down or just delayed? Gazprom’s head said he won’t deny it”, Mr. Chizhov said.