EC to give 60m EUR to Serbia and Bulgaria for gas pipeline Dupnica-Niš

Serbia and Bulgaria will finance construction of the future gas pipeline from Dupnica to Niš with European funds. The European Commission set aside 60m EUR for that project. The EU Energy Commissar, Gunther Jotinger, said in Sofia that the Agreement on construction of gas pipeline, which would transport gas in both directions, would be signed on Friday (March 5, 2010) in Brussels.

Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Economy and Energy, Maja Hristova, said last night that the Agreement would be signed by the representatives of Bulgartransgas and Srbijagas.

- Formation of a joint venture is not in the pipeline. The future gas pipeline should be managed by each company on its own territory - she explained.

The plan is that the construction of the gas pipeline be completed prior to 2012, but Bulgarian side is of the opinion that it is more likely that the gas transport will start in 2013 or 2014.

The length of the gas pipeline is 106 km. Dupnica is situated in the southwest part of Bulgaria, on the route of the transit gas pipeline.

Gas has already reached Niš, and construction of new gas pipeline will enable another about 200,000 households in southeast Serbia to connect to the gas network.