MOSCOW, August 19./ITAR-TASS/. South Stream Bulgaria has temporarily suspended all orders and conclusion of contracts for the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline in the Bulgarian territory on recommendation from the European Union, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

“At present, the company is engaged in preparatory works to implement the project in compliance with the national and European legislations. South Stream Bulgaria adheres to the principle of transparency of the pipeline’s construction and responsibility in pursuit of bringing the project in line with EU norms and regulations,” the Bulgarian company said.

Meanwhile, the European Commission has welcomed the Bulgarian government’s decision to freeze the South Stream project so long as it did not meet EU standards and requirements, Marlin Holtsner, a spokesperson for the European Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger, said in an interview with ITAR-TASS on Tuesday.