RIA Novosti: South Stream Project to Be Realized Despite Complications: Russian Energy Minister

South Stream pipeline project to transport Russian gas across the Black Sea is not halted, and is being realized despite complexities, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told journalists on Saturday.

“The project is not halted, intergovernmental agreements are still in force, nobody cancelled them. There are some problems concerning the fact that the European Commission working group has stopped its work on making the mechanisms of pipeline exploitation. So we hope that with the new European Commission composition and with appointment of the new head, we will continue this work,” Novak said.

Russia started building the South Stream gas pipeline across the Black Sea in 2012, aiming to diversify export routes from Russia to central and southern Europe. The pipeline, which will allow the transit of gas to Europe bypassing Ukraine, is expected to be fully operational by 2018. The first gas deliveries are scheduled for late 2015.
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