No delay in Serbian stretch of South Stream pipeline

Serbia does not plan to delay the construction of the Serbian stretch of the South Stream Gas Pipeline project, Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy Aleksander Antic announced, the Serbian newswire B92 reported June 6.

“There are no plans to delay of the construction of the Serbian stretch of the South Stream Gas Pipeline,” Antic said, as reported by the newswire. “As far as I can tell, EU member countries don’t have any such plans either. I believe that the European Commission, EU member countries and Gazprom, that is to say, the owners of South Stream Gas Pipeline, will find a solution to the unresolved issues in as soon as it is possible.”

Antic also stated that Serbia wants to remain neutral and that the Serbian government will continue to follow the situation without making any decisions.

“We will continue to follow the communication between the European Commission and EU member states and Russia, that is, Gazprom,” the minister stated, as cited by the newswire. “[The Ministry of Mining and Energy] views South Stream as a European project, because many European countries participate in it.”

This should be seen as Serbia’s stand on the EC infringement procedures recently announced  against Bulgaria over irregularities connected with agreements signed on the construction of the South Stream Gas Pipeline in Bulgaria.

Over past few days Bulgaria has been put under pressure by the EU Commission to stop all activities surrounding the South Stream until the project meets EU requirements.

Starting in Russia, the South Stream Gas Pipeline will enter the EU via Bulgaria and will continue to Austria through Serbia, Slovenia and Hungary. The South Stream is also set to have a Greek stretch that could make its way to Italy through the bottom of the Adriatic sea.

Update: Serbia forced to postpone South Stream construction