RWE in talks to split Belene stake-Bulgarian official

SOFIA, May 27 (Reuters) - German utility RWE AG (RWEG.DE) is in talks with three companies to pick a partner for its 49 percent stake in Bulgaria's Belene nuclear power project, Bulgaria's state-owned utility NEK said on Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for NEK quoted the company's Executive Director Mardik Papazian as saying Russian electricity trader Inter RAO (IRAO.MM) and a Finnish company were among the candidates to split the stake with RWE.

A spokesman for RWE in Germany confirmed his company was in talks with third parties over its stake in the 2,000 megawatt plant, due to become operational in 2014-15, but declined to name them or give other details. (Reporting by Tsvetelia Ilieva and Anna Mudeva; Editing by David Holmes)