Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov and Russian industry and energy minister Victor Khristenko signed in Moscow on November 8 a declaration on the construction of a new transit gas pipe line across Bulgarian territory, Bulgarian National Radio BNR reported.

Minister Dimitrov said after meeting Khristenko he hoped that that the signing of an intergovernmental agreement between Bulgaria and Russia would coincide with the visit of Russian president Vladimir Putin to Bulgaria in January 2008.

Dimitrov added that this project would turn Bulgaria into one of the most important transit energy centres in Southeast Europe.

The gas pipe line, through which about 30 billion cubic metres of gas would pass on an annual basis, would provide gas for Austria and Italy.

It would boost Bulgarian transit tax revenues and would guarantee gas supplies for Europe, Dimitrov said as quoted by the Bulgarian News Agency BTA.