Russia should receive "ironclad guarantees" to return to the implementation of the South Stream project. This was said by President Vladimir Putin at the press conference after the meeting with the head of Turkey Recep Erdogan.

As the head of the state said, Moscow knows on Bulgaria's readiness to return to the implementation of the South Stream. "But we suffered some losses due to the refusal of European partners to implement this project, and now we do not have enough intentions, we need absolutely ironclad guarantees of a legal nature," Putin said.

According to Vladimir Putin, now there are no such guarantees.

"South Stream" was to bypass Ukraine through the Black Sea to the countries of Southern and Central Europe, including through the territory of Bulgaria. Its capacity should have made 62 billion cubic meters per year. However, after the EU requests, Sofia refused to run the gas pipeline through its territory. On August 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. It was reported that they discussed bilateral cooperation "with an emphasis on the implementation of joint projects in the energy sector". The parties also discussed the development of separate working groups to consider these projects.