New Greece-Bulgaria gas pipeline 'means freedom', says EU chief Leyen

The president of the European Union's executive arm travelled Saturday to Bulgaria for the opening of a natural gas link between the country and Greece, emphasising the EU's determination to stop relying on Russian energy imports.

Speaking at a ceremony in Sofia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the pipeline as an important contribution to limiting opportunities for Russia to use its gas and oil reserves to blackmail or punish the EU.

This pipeline changes the energy security situation for Europe. This project means freedom, von der Leyen told an audience that included heads of state and government from the region.

The European Commission committed nearly 250 million euros to finance the project, von der Leyen said.

The importance of the Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria pipeline, which was completed in July, has significantly risen after Moscow decided to turn its natural gas deliveries into a political weapon.

A second European pipeline started operatin