Vladimir Putin meets LIKoil chief executive officer

President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation met LUK-Oil chief executive officer Vagit Alekperov here today. Putin noted, while opening the meeting that LUK-Oil was interested in laying the Burgas-Alexandropoulos oil pipeline, also inquiring about the implementation of this construction project.

We have analysed all routes along the Black Sea coast, Alekperov noted. We are now facing some problems in the context of Greek tariffs policies, he added. The Greek side charges sufficiently high oil-transit rates; meanwhile we have coordinated everything with Bulgaria, Alekperov went on to say.

Time is ripe for merging the entire Western Siberia - Novorossiisk - Burgas - Alexandropoulos production chain into one single whole, he said. Super-tankers will be sailing from there all the way to the East coast of the United States, Alekperov noted.

Alekperov voiced confidence to the effect that the current Russian-Bulgarian summit will provide an additional impulse for ensuring this project's logical continuation and completion.