The South Stream gas pipeline may not reach southern Italy via Greece, as had been envisioned for the project, because Italian authorities preferred for the pipeline to enter the country from the north, Greek daily To Vima said, quoting information from the Greek cabinet.

It was very possible than that South Stream would start from Russian port of Novorosiysk, pass under the Black Sea to the Bulgarian port of Bourgas and then followed the route of the Bourgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline to the Greek city of Komotini. Then the pipeline would return back through Bulgaria heading to Serbia, Hungary and Austria, Dnevnik daily quoted To Vima as saying.

Thus, South Stream would enter just a few kilometres into Greek territory and Greece would become a transit destination, instead of importing gas from other countries.

South Stream is to be 900km long and its construction is expected to cost 10 billion euro. The great question was when negotiations would conclude and construction would begin, To Vima said. The most optimistic prognoses held that the pipeline would be ready by 2016. Having in mind the Bourgas-Alexandroupolis project, which was negotiated for 20 years and whose construction had still not begun, a conclusion could be made that South Stream’s realisation could also see delay, the newspaper said.