Slovenia Hails Progress of Russian South Stream Pipeline

Slovenian President Danilo Turk (left) with Russian PM Putin in Moscow. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Several days after the future of the South Stream gas transit pipeline emerged more certain as Bulgaria and Russia signed a respective deal, Slovenia's President Danilo Turk hailed the progress of the project in Moscow.

Turk is on an official visit to the Russian capital, which started on Wednesday.

In an interview for the Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper, the President of Slovenia, which is located on the northern section of the future route of South Stream, says his country sees notable progress in the project, which it views as strategically important for both Russia and Europe.

He has underscored Slovenia's awareness that South Stream is a complex project whose success depends on all participants.

Furthermore, Turk makes it clear that that Slovenia's sees no contradiction between South Stream and its EU-sponsored competitor Nabucco.

The South Stream gas transit pipeline is supposed to be ready by 2015. Its construction is expected to cost between EUR 19 B and EUR 24 B. It will be transporting 63 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, or 35% of Russia's total annual natural gas export to Europe.

The South Stream pipe will start near Novorosiysk on the Russian Black Sea coast, and will go to Bulgaria's Varna; the underwater section will be 900 km long.

In Bulgaria, the pipe is supposed to split in two - one pipeline going to Greece and Southern Italy, and another one going to Austria and Northern Italy through Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia.

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