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Europe to receive gas along South Stream pipeline according to timeline

Russia's PM: inter-governmental agreement for construction of the South Stream gas pipeline prevails over the legislation of the European Union

GORKI, December 10. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev believes that the inter-governmental agreement for the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline prevails over the legislation of the European Union and he pledged that gas supplies would be made in Europe within the deadlines set before. Medvedev has made a statement at a news conference after the negotiations with Slovenian counterpart Alenka Bratusek on Tuesday.

“From the point of view of international law the acts of the European Union are the domestic legislation for all EU states,” Medvedev recalled. “From the point of view of international law the inter-governmental agreements with the mentioned EU countries (Slovenia, Bulgaria and several other countries through which the South Stream gas pipeline is running) are the acts of international law, and the principle of the international law prevailing over the domestic legislation is in effect in the international law and the law in general,” the Russian prime minister said.

The Russian prime minister added that from the legal point of view the effective agreements should be interpreted only this way.

However, the Russian premier noted that “the consultations were held in order to avoid a deadlock.” “Different rules exist to take into account the interest of the European Union and to implement the South Stream gas project,” Medvedev said. “These decisions are juridical or lie at the confluence of law and economy,” he said.