Amid talk of European energy security and diversification of gas supplies, Bulgaria has proposed building another pipeline to get gas directly from Russia, according to President Rumen Radev.

The Balkan nation currently gets Russian natural gas by transit through Ukraine and other Gazprom customers in Europe. Last year, sales of the blue fuel to Bulgaria reached 3.3 billion cubic meters, 4.7 percent more than in 2016.

As for the supplies from Russia, Bulgaria needs drop shipment of the gas through the Black Sea. Let’s call it ‘Bulgarian Stream’,” Radev said in an interview with Russian business daily Kommersant.

“The approach is motivated by common sense, as well as by energy efficiency and security demand not only for Bulgaria, but for the entire European Union,” Radev told the media. “Such ambitions do not differ from Germany’s intention to implement the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project”.

At the moment, the Bulgarian authorities are wagering on the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, which is currently under construction. The country is supposed to get first shipments of Russian gas via the route after 2019. Turkish Stream is set to stretch across the Black Sea from Russia to Turkey and further to Turkey's border with European neighbors.

The Bulgarian President is currently paying a two-day visit to Russia. Radev is scheduled to meet Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow on Monday. On Tuesday, he will have his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi.

https://www.rt.com/business/427299-bulgaria-straight-gas-pipeline-russia/

Seoul is seeking to significantly ramp up business with Moscow, according to recent talks between the foreign ministers of the two countries.

South Korea wants to speed up the building of the so-called “nine bridges” meaning gas, railways, the Northern Sea Route, shipbuilding, job creation, fishing and other types of cooperation.

The initiative was first proposed by President Moon Jae-in during the Eastern Economic Forum in Russia. During the meeting of foreign ministry officials, the countries also agreed to look at building trilateral economic ties with North Korea.

Last month, South Korean diplomat Kang Kyung-wha said Russia could build a natural gas pipeline to the country through the North's territory. "Should the security situation on the Korean Peninsula improve, we will be able to review the pipeline natural gas (PNG) business involving the two Koreas and Russia,” she said then.

Last year, trade between Seoul and Moscow grew 40 percent to $19 billion. The countries have joint projects in Russia’s Far East and economic ties can grow, if the countries reach a breakthrough on gas deliveries.

South Korea is currently forced to buy more expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments. President Moon also said that good business ties between Russia and South Korea could solve the problem of the North Korean nuclear weapons issue.

“If the North sees Northeast Asian countries successfully conducting economic cooperation, it will realize that participation in the development of the Russian Far East would be beneficial to it,” he said.

https://www.rt.com/business/427295-south-korea-russia-economy/

The real goal behind recent US sanctions is to isolate Russia economically from Europe and Asia, according to an analyst interviewed by RT.

“The most obvious reason for sanctions is to drive a wedge into the relationship between Russia and the European Union, between Russia and China, etc.” said TeleTradeBel analyst Mikhail Grachev.

According to Grachev, this time Russia should not seek to impose sanctions against American individuals and instead stop the spiral of bilateral sanctions. “Symmetrical answers like deportation of diplomats and closure of consulates are most likely appropriate and are a worthy response. But sanctions against specific personalities will look like a shot in the air,” he said.

"For Russia, in this situation it is more important to maintain one's own dignity."

The analyst added that with time, the European Union will realize that the United States is not a trading partner to be trusted. Grachev recalls the recent words by the President of the European Council Donald Tusk that “with friends like that who needs enemies?”

Vladimir Rojankovski, investment analyst at Global FX, agrees that it is the right moment for Russia to strengthen its ties with Europe, when the latter seeks to defend its companies from US sanctions for doing business with Iran.

“Needless to say how much it’s in Russia’s interests to join this party [Europe],” he told RT.

The analyst notes that the US president is ready to get rid of old friends, if they don’t suit his agenda. “The main problem about countering Trump directly is his low level of susceptibility. He is a thick-skinned lifelong cynic, the fact proved by the ease with which he parts with his friends. Remember his former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson? After the latter’s public speech defending the Iran nuclear deal he was mercilessly fired.”

https://www.rt.com/business/427245-russia-china-europe-us-sanctions/

>>1522675

Lol. You must be one of those Avalon peeps. Fucking hell. You are all the same.

>>1522691

Russian is winning on many levels. They are in the process of offering teachers safety courses for potential attacks. For example.

>>1522816

The freaking middle man.

>>1522816

I like how you stated that.