UPDATE2: Pres aide: Russia may build gas pipe to Greece via Bulgaria

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MOSCOW, May 26 (PRIME) -- Russia is considering a new gas pipeline project to Greece, the transit can be made across Bulgaria, presidential aide Yury Ushakov told reporters on Thursday.

“We are now working on a project of gas supplies from Russia to Greece and Italy via third countries. I mean, the pipeline could run across the bottom of the Black Sea and then across the territory of one of the coastal countries, this is evidently Bulgaria,” Ushakov said.

Alexander Medvedev, a deputy CEO at Russian gas giant Gazprom, said that laying the pipeline via Bulgaria is actually being studied, but it is only one of options and the company’s European partners are to choose and coordinate the route.

“But neither this option nor another one may be implemented without participation of another country that has an exit to the Black Sea…in this case it depends on the European community, on the European Commission, they are to provide this or that route for gas supplies to Greece and Italy,” he said.

In February, Gazprom signed a memorandum with Italy’s Edison and Greece’s DEPA on gas supplies from Russia to the E.U. under the Black Sea via third countries.

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