Russia Today: Russia gets closer to making its gas way to Europe
The South Stream pipeline is finally taking shape as shareholders have agreed to build the northern leg of pipeline to Austria first. Construction will start sooner than expected in December of this year.
Russia is trying to diversify its gas transportation routes to Europe and plans to start using the pipeline in 2015.
The South Stream pipeline will carry 63 billion cubic meters of natural gas to central and southern Europe. “The exclusive transit of our gas for several countries goes down, but the significance of our partners remains major, and I hope that the joint work with Ukraine, Belarus and probably with Turkey in the future will be continued and built on the mutually beneficial basis," said Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, commenting on the launch of South Stream and Nord Stream Pipeline. MORE