Europaabgeordneter: Gasstreit ‚hebt Bedeutung von Nabucco-Pipeline hervor’[en] 

Bulgarian Socialist MEP Evgeni Kirilov, a former diplomat, is vice-chairman of the Parliament's regional development committee. 

To read a shortened version of this interview, please click here .

At the meeting with Ukrainian and Russian officials in the European Parliament, you earned the applause of other MEPs present. Can you repeat your message? 

Two of the biggest European countries [Russia and Ukraine] are behaving in an uncivilised and irresponsible way. We need an immediate resumption of gas deliveries and we need an independent investigation into which of the two countries is more irresponsible. Whichever it is must be sanctioned in a very severe way, so this can never be repeated again. 

Did this meeting allow you to decide for yourself which is most irresponsible? 

The problem is that the Russian side did not show up. There was nobody authorised to speak on behalf of Russia, so we only heard the Ukrainian delegation, led by the deputy prime minister [Hryhoriy Nemyria]. 

Russia refuses to sit at the same EU table with Ukraine, and a trilateral meeting between Russia, Ukraine and the EU with the participation of Commissioner Piebalgs did not materialise either. These are not good omens. 

Exactly. That is why I expressed my grave concern that the Russian delegation was not present. Besides, the Ukrainian delegation arrived at Brussels airport, while the Russian delegation, I don't know why, landed in Luxembourg. These are signals and reasons to worry about possible dialogue about the two countries. Altogether, this is irresponsible behaviour. 

Obviously you don't believe the Russian plane landed in Luxembourg due to the weather. 

Then one should wonder why the Ukrainian plane managed to land [while the Russian one did not]. But it's strange, because the meeting was initiated by the Russians. 

Moreover, the Russians gave the floor to the Ukrainians, who made their case at the expense of Moscow. 

Until we hear both sides together, we should not hurry to make a judgement. But at this point, we can make the following political judgement: so far, until the real causes are determined by an independent investigation, we can say that such behaviour is very irresponsible. And it concerns the fate of millions of European citizens, who are paying much higher prices for their gas than Ukrainian citizens. 

You are a MEP from Bulgaria, the EU country hit hardest by the current crisis. How would you describe the situation in Bulgaria today? 

The situation is very grave. I try to follow it almost every minute from Brussels. It does not just concern humanitarian aspects, children, students, ordinary citizens who are suffering because they are not receiving heating, but there is no energy either for Bulgarian industry. The losses are immense. 

In this situation, just as we are being hit by the financial crisis, we are receiving a second terrible blow. And we have no guilt for that: we have regular contracts, we pay our dues, we pay high prices for our gas. Bulgarian citizens do not deserve such treatment and I think this gives ground to a much more active role for the European Commission. The Commission should move faster and the observers should already be there. We have no time to waste. 

Isn't Bulgaria overly reliant on Russian gas? Russia is the only supplier, and there is only one pipeline bringing Russian gas to the country. Local gas production is very modest, and there is only one storage facility which does not stock much gas. Don't you think your country could have taken better care of its energy security? 

Yes, I think so. As far as the reserves are concerned, over the last few months, the government has managed to enlarge the reserve capacity by one third and this gives us some hope at this point. But regarding the alternative supplies, I think that it's not for the scale of any single country to ensure this goal. 

Bulgaria has been very active in promoting the Nabucco pipeline, at state level and at any possible level. The European Commission should get much more actively involved in this project. This crisis should also create the momentum for putting in place a consistent European energy policy. It's now clear that this concerns the security of the countries of the European Union.

Bulgaria's president has called for the reopening of one of the units at Kozloduy nuclear power plant, which was closed as a condition of the country's accession to the EU, due to the crisis situation. Do you expect the EU to buy the idea in the present circumstances? 

We very much hope that this crisis will be solved as soon as possible. But if this does not happen, I think the president, in a stately manner, was right to raise the issue, because we will be helpless in a matter of weeks. And I think the accession treaty provides for this in such a critical situation. In dialogue with the European Commission, we should receive its consent to restart at least one of the reactors. 

But the Bulgarian prime minister has maintained his silence over the issue. 

I am not aware of any contradiction between the president and the prime minister. If we continue to experience the growing effects of this crisis, I don't see any politician in Bulgaria who would oppose such a move.