Macedonia Presses to Join South Stream

Macedonia will hold talks on October 1 with Russian gas giant Gazprom on joining the South Stream gas pipeline project, Macedonia's Finance Ministry said on Tuesday.

"We will do our best to persuade Gazprom that the project is profitable both for the company and for the Republic of Macedonia thanks to the creation of a South Stream transportation corridor leg in the country. It is of great importance for future stability and safety of gas supplies," the ministry quoted its head Zoran Stavreski as saying.

Russia has already signed intergovernmental agreements with Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia and Austria to implement the land phase of the South Stream project.

Earlier in September, Macedonia expressed an interest in participating in the Nabucco gas pipeline , the competing project to South Stream.

Source: RIA Novosti