Russia, Slovenia Sign Onto South Stream Investment

Gazprom head Aleksei Miller (right) with Aljosa Ivancic, vice president of Comita, during the signing ceremony in Gorki on November 13.

Russian gas giant Gazprom and Slovenian company Plinovodi have signed an investment agreement on the construction of the Slovenian section of the South Stream gas pipeline.

Gazprom chief Aleksei Miller and Plinovodi officials inked the deal in Moscow on November 13, with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa also in attendance.

Miller said the final investment agreement would be unveiled the following day.

Final investment arrangements must be concluded with every country along the pipeline’s route.

The South Stream pipeline will run across the bottom of the Black Sea from the Russian port of Dzhubga to Varna in Bulgaria.

One branch would go through Serbia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Austria; the other would go to Croatia and Greece.

The pipeline is expected to begin operating in 2015.

Based on reporting by Interfax and ITAR-TASS