In the very beginning of the accession talks between Bulgaria and the EU Germany said that it would be advocating for Bulgaria’s membership. Eight years after the accession of Bulgaria to the European Union, Bulgaria is again looking for Berlin’s assistance. The first official visit of Bulgaria’s Premier Borissov to the German capital aimed at seeking German support to solve the complicated issue regarding the South Stream gas pipeline project. Borissov got a friendly pat on his shoulder, but it turned out after the meeting with Chancellor Merkel that the gas issue will remain unsolved.

Bulgaria asked for support from the most-influential politic of the EU in its bid to become a gas distributor on the Balkans. According to Bulgaria’s idea, this country should build with European money a gas hub near the coastal city of Varna, where the Russian gas would be further distributed to the South Europe. However, Angela Merkel kept silence on this topic. However, after the suspension of the South Stream project Germany has surprisingly softened the tone towards Moscow. During the joint press-conference with Boyko Borissov in Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed on the good experience of the German economy with its reliable partner- Russia. Bearing in mind the political situation and despite the existing differences, the economic relations should be based on mutual confidence. Let us not forget that despite the EU sanctions, Russia remains one of the most-significant markets for the German industry. With regard to the suspended gas project Merkel recommended Bulgaria to discuss consciously and soberly with Russia the judicial aspects of this project and assured his counterpart that Germany would try to help Bulgaria solve this problem. Apparently, Germany has no intentions to put its economic partnership with Russia at risk due to Bulgaria’s problems with the South Stream project.

The true reasons behind the suspension of this energy project are becoming more evident against the backdrop of the latest development of the financial crisis in Russia: the depreciation of the Russian Ruble, the dwindling oil prices and the sanctions imposed by the EU against Russia made this gas project extremely expensive and currently Moscow can not afford it. The crisis in Ukraine changed the political situation in Europe significantly and one of the main tasks of the South Stream project was to reduce the dependence on Ukraine which is a country that transits Russian gas to Europe.

In fact, Bulgaria will not remain with empty hands, because all EU funds allotted to this country were again unblocked. This is good news, because the EU funds are much more important for Bulgaria’s economy than possible incomes from the South Stream project. It would be quite naive not to link both topics together in the big geopolitical puzzle.