The project for the “Balkan” gas hub is going to develop regardless of what happens to North Stream 2 or Turkish Stream, regardless of circumstances,  Klaus-Dieter Borchardt, Director of the Internal Energy Market of the Directorate General ‘Energy’’ of the European Commission has said today quoted by BTA. The EC expert jointly with Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Domislav Donchev and Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova visited the Provadia compressor station near Varna. Borchardt has said that the Russian side should better join the hub for the sake of greater liquidity. He has pointed out the hub could begin operations without Russian gas, but that at a later stage this could hurt its competitiveness. This comment came in the context of a recent Russia statement that no Russian gas pipeline was planned to go through Bulgaria, and an explanation provided by Bulgarian PM Boyko Borissov that in case Europe wanted Russian gas at the “Balkan” hub it had to make the respective declaration about it. At a conference yesterday with potential investors in the project Borissov demanded a trilateral format for meetings of potential partners with the participation of the European Commission. Today while talking to the press Klaus-Dieter Borchardt has confirmed that the EC is ready to join trilateral talks between Bulgaria and other interested countries. By 9 November the EC expects a pre-project planning proposal and after that financing could be provided, the EC expert has specified. The gas transiting system in Bulgaria is absolutely reliable and will be a guarantor for the execution of the project, Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova has said. In connection with the Russia-Turkey agreement on Turkish Stream, Deputy PM Tomislav Donchev has said it has nothing in common with the “Balkan” gas hub project. The projects are neither competitors , nor the hub is an extension or an alternative to South Stream, Donchev has said quoted by BTA.