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A30 world news
Diaranson 13 Juli 2022

New pipeline from Greece to Bulgaria offsets Russian gas cut

"This isn't just a gas pipeline, but a "Thus, for the first time, our coun-
crucial south-north energy bridge," try will have real terrestrial access to
Mitsotakis said during a ceremony in alternative energy sources other than
northeastern Greece. the Russian ones," Petkov said.
He added that Europe needs to co-
ordinate its response to "Moscow's The 182-kilometer (115-mile) pipe-
conscious choice to turn natural re- line will run from the northeastern
sources into a lever of political pres- Greek city of Komotini to Stara Za-
sure, into a raw blackmail." gora in central Bulgaria. It starts with
"It is something our Bulgarian neigh- an initial capacity of 3 billion cubic
bors already know very well," Mitso- meters of gas a year, and the prospect
takis said. of future expansion to 5 billion cubic
meters. Commercial deliveries are
In late April, Russia cut off gas sup- expected to start by Oct. 1.
plies to Bulgaria after it refused a de-
mand by Moscow to pay gas bills in Greece is looking to serve as an en-
rubles, Russia's currency. Relations ergy hub for the Balkans, using fos-
between the two former Soviet bloc sil fuels from the Caspian Sea and
allies have tanked in recent months, the southeastern Mediterranean, and,
and last month Bulgaria ordered the potentially renewable energy from
expulsion of 70 Russian diplomats, Egypt, to supply the region amid the
(AP) — The leaders of Greece triggering an angry response from fallout of the war in Ukraine.
and Bulgaria on Friday marked Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mit- Moscow.
the completion of a new pipeline sotakis stressed the importance of the Greece is also building a liquefied nat-
that will supply natural gas from new link as an alternative supply line Bulgaria's acting prime minister, Kiril ural gas terminal off the northeastern
Azerbaijan to Bulgaria, whose vi- for Bulgaria, as neighboring Greece Petkov, highlighted the pipeline's key port of Alexandroupolis, near Komo-
tal supply of Russian gas was cut jockeys to become a regional energy role in ending Russia's gas monopoly tini, which Mitsotakis said would in
off in April amid the fallout over transport hub. in his country. the future provide additional gas for
Russia's invasion of Ukraine. the new Greek-Bulgarian pipeline.

The contenders vying to succeed Johnson as next UK leader

(AP) — Eight politicians SECRETARY the 2019 leadership race. He focused on essentials." SUELLA BRAVERMAN,
are vying to replace Boris Truss, 46, took on the high- lost heavily, and was dumped ___ ATTORNEY GENERAL
Johnson as the next Con- profile Cabinet post in Sep- from the Cabinet. NADHIM ZAHAWI, Braverman is a lawmaker and
servative Party leader and tember after serving as trade Hunt, 55, has remained a TREASURY CHIEF lawyer who became Eng-
British prime minister. minister. She is also the member of Parliament and Zahawi, 55, came to promi- land's attorney general in
U.K.'s lead negotiator with kept himself in the public eye nence as vaccine minister 2020.
These are the contenders the European Union on is- by grilling the government's during the pandemic. A co- A euroskeptic and supporter
who have secured support sues following Brexit. pandemic policies as head of founder of the market re- of Britain's withdrawal from
from at least 20 Conserva- Truss, the U.K.'s top diplo- the Health and Social Care search firm YouGov, Zahawi the European Union, Braver-
tive lawmakers to progress to mat, has made no secret of Select Committee. was elected to Parliament in man, 42, says she wants to
Wednesday's run-off votes: her leadership ambitions and ___ 2010. deliver "all of the great op-
___ has sought to emulate former TOM TUGENDHAT, He was born in Iraq to a portunities of Brexit" — in-
RISHI SUNAK, FORMER Conservative Prime Minister COMMONS FOREIGN Kurdish family and came to cluding a tougher line on
TREASURY CHIEF Margaret Thatcher in care- AFFAIRS COMMITTEE the U.K. as a child when his immigration and leaving the
Sunak, 42, is the best-known fully curated social media CHAIR parents fled Iraq under Sad- jurisdiction of the European
of the party's potential leaders photos. If selected, she says Tugendhat, a 48-year-old dam Hussein. Court of Human Rights.
and a favorite of bookmakers she wants to cut taxes "from lawmaker and former sol- ___
to succeed Johnson. day one" and reverse an in- dier, has never held a Cabinet
His public profile rose after come tax hike. post but heads the influential
he became the U.K.'s Trea- ___ Foreign Affairs Committee
sury chief in 2020, a job that PENNY MORDAUNT, in Parliament. He is seen as
entailed overseeing the bil- TRADE MINISTER a centrist and has billed his
lions of pounds handed out Mordaunt, 49, is popular candidacy as an opportunity
during the coronavirus pan- with many Conservatives for a clean start.
demic to help businesses and and is another bookmakers' He said he is consulting
workers. favorite to win. a "broad coalition" of col-
But he has faced criticism She was the first woman to leagues to bridge the divides
for not doing enough to ease serve as U.K. defense secre- in government.
the country's growing cost- tary, although Johnson dis- ___
of-living crisis. His popular- missed her shortly after he KEMI BADENOCH,
ity also took a dive after he became prime minister in FORMER EQUALITIES
police fined him for attend- 2019 because she had backed MINISTER
ing one of the government's another candidate for party Badenoch, who has worked
lockdown-flouting parties at leader, Jeremy Hunt. as a software engineer and
Downing Street, home to the Mordaunt, a former real- at a private bank, grew up in
prime minister's office and ity TV contestant, played a Nigeria and says she experi-
official residence. prominent role in the pro- enced poverty first hand.
Sunak says the promises to Brexit campaign in 2016. The 42-year-old lawmaker
cut taxes made by many ri- ___ was initially considered an
val candidates are "not cred- JEREMY HUNT, FOR- outsider for the race, but
ible" and that he would only MER CABINET MINIS- an endorsement from party
reduce taxes after inflation is TER heavyweight Michael Gove
under control. Hunt, who has served as has boosted her profile.
___ both health and foreign sec- She wants to lower taxes and
LIZ TRUSS, FOREIGN retary, ran against Johnson in lead a "limited government