President Vladimir Putin discussed the practical implementation of the Burgas-Alexandropoulis Oil Pipeline project with Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov and Greek Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis during a brief working visit to Athens.
Russia, Greece and Bulgaria initiated the project in 1994. Until now, work has concentrated on agreeing all the different aspects involved in the pipeline’s construction.
The talks between the Russian, Greek and Bulgarian leaders resulted in the adoption of a tripartite Declaration of Cooperation in the Energy Sector, which will speed up the project’s completion. The three countries committed themselves to setting up a project company and signing an intergovernmental agreement on support for the pipeline’s construction by the end of this year.
The project’s implementation will be a major step towards increasing Europe’s energy security and will create new opportunities for economic growth on the continent, Mr Putin said.