Sofia - Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov has called for a new EU energy policy in the wake of the ongoing gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine.

In a speech on national security Friday in Sofia, Parvanonv said that it was "important to build a dependable partnership" between the states of the Caspian littoral.

Parvanov added that the proposed Nabucco pipeline project, which would see gas distributed from the Caucasus without passing through Russian or Ukrainian territory, was not just about a physical project, but also about politics.

The Bulgarian president also called for the restarting of one of the shuttered reactors at the nuclear power plant at Kosludoj.

Bulgaria, he said, did not want a "nuclear energy conflict" with the European Union, which opposes such moves, but also asked "how much more serious will this crisis become?"

Bulgaria has been one of the worst affected countries by the gas cut-off imposed by Russia due to a commercial dispute with Ukraine. The country is dependent on Russia for 95 per cent of its gas supplies and has received no gas for over a week. (dpa)