President attends start of S. Stream works ceremony

BELGRADE Tomislav Nikolic said on Sunday that construction of the South Stream pipeline was "a clear message that Serbia was a country of solutions, and not problems." According to the president, it also means Serbia's a country "of peace, not conflict, a country of future, worth investing in and capable of conducting capital projects." President attends start of S. Stream works ceremony Nikolic attended a ceremony marking the start of the construction of the South Stream section through Serbia and said the project symbolized connections between countries and nations and a monument to Serbia's connection to Russia established through work. "This generation has been given the honour to write that new page in the history of centuries-old friendship between the two countries," he pointed out. Hundreds of engineers and thousands of workers will be employed in the construction of the pipeline and Serbia is becoming the energy hub of the region, he noted. Many have referred to the project as the engineering enterprise of the century, he stated, adding that the value of the work in Serbia stood at nearly EUR 2 billion, and that Serbian companies, whose technological capabilities should not be doubted, would carry most of the construction effort. Nikolic, Dacic, and Vucic are seen during the ceremony (Beta) Energy security The construction of the South Stream pipeline section through Serbia guarantees better international energy security, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. Russia's Minister of Energy Alexander Novak conveyed Putin's message and greetings at the ceremony marking the start of the South Stream's construction in Serbia, held in Belgrade on Sunday. The construction of the pipeline will greatly improve international energy security, Putin noted, adding it was an important event not only for Serbia and the Balkans, but for the entire Europe. South Stream will traverse the bottom of the Black Sea to connect Russia's biggest natural gas fields with the largest markets in Southeastern Europe, ensuring a reliable supply for European consumers, without transport risks. It will be a great contribution to international energy security, Putin said, according to Novak. The construction of an extremely large pipeline through Serbia will attract big investors to the country and the region, improve employment and stimulate further social and economic development. Cooperation during the construction fits logically into the friendly relations between Serbia and Russia, Putin concluded. First capital project in decades Serbia's Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said on Sunday the construction of the South Stream pipeline section through Serbia was the first capital project in decades, which would make the country an important regional hub when it comes to gas supply. Speaking at a ceremony marking the start of the pipeline's construction in Serbia, he stated it was the largest development and strategic project in energy. Today is a great day for Serbia, the Balkans and all of Europe, because this project will allow Europe to be supplied with gas without transport risk, Dacic noted. More than ten percent of Europe's gas needs will be covered by the pipeline going through Serbia, and the country will become an important energy hub in the region and a reliable partner in ensuring energy security in Southeastern and Central Europe, he said. There are plans to build additional legs of the pipeline towards the Serb Republic (RS) and Croatia, and the Macedonian government is also in the process of deciding to allow a one leg to go towards Macedonia, Dacic said, adding that the Macedonian government had already expressed its approval in general. Belgrade suggested that one of the topics in Brussels could be an additional section of the pipeline that would go to Kosovo, Dacic pointed out. A long way has been traveled since the beginning of the work on the project, whose completion will realize a strategic, gas and oil partnership between Serbia and Russia, Dacic remarked. Tanjug

President attends start of S. Stream works ceremony

Nikolić attended a ceremony marking the start of the construction of the South Stream section through Serbia and said the project symbolized connections between countries and nations and a monument to Serbia's connection to Russia established through work.

"This generation has been given the honour to write that new page in the history of centuries-old friendship between the two countries," he pointed out.

Hundreds of engineers and thousands of workers will be employed in the construction of the pipeline and Serbia is becoming the energy hub of the region, he noted.

Many have referred to the project as the engineering enterprise of the century, he stated, adding that the value of the work in Serbia stood at nearly EUR 2 billion, and that Serbian companies, whose technological capabilities should not be doubted, would carry most of the construction effort.

Energy security

The construction of the South Stream pipeline section through Serbia guarantees better international energy security, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

Russia's Minister of Energy Alexander Novak conveyed Putin's message and greetings at the ceremony marking the start of the South Stream's construction in Serbia, held in Belgrade on Sunday.

The construction of the pipeline will greatly improve international energy security, Putin noted, adding it was an important event not only for Serbia and the Balkans, but for the entire Europe.

South Stream will traverse the bottom of the Black Sea to connect Russia's biggest natural gas fields with the largest markets in Southeastern Europe, ensuring a reliable supply for European consumers, without transport risks. It will be a great contribution to international energy security, Putin said, according to Novak.

The construction of an extremely large pipeline through Serbia will attract big investors to the country and the region, improve employment and stimulate further social and economic development.

Cooperation during the construction fits logically into the friendly relations between Serbia and Russia, Putin concluded.

First capital project in decades

Serbia's Prime Minister Ivica Dačić said on Sunday the construction of the South Stream pipeline section through Serbia was the first capital project in decades, which would make the country an important regional hub when it comes to gas supply.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the start of the pipeline's construction in Serbia, he stated it was the largest development and strategic project in energy.

Today is a great day for Serbia, the Balkans and all of Europe, because this project will allow Europe to be supplied with gas without transport risk, Dačić noted.

More than ten percent of Europe's gas needs will be covered by the pipeline going through Serbia, and the country will become an important energy hub in the region and a reliable partner in ensuring energy security in Southeastern and Central Europe, he said.

There are plans to build additional legs of the pipeline towards the Serb Republic (RS) and Croatia, and the Macedonian government is also in the process of deciding to allow a one leg to go towards Macedonia, Dačić said, adding that the Macedonian government had already expressed its approval in general.

Belgrade suggested that one of the topics in Brussels could be an additional section of the pipeline that would go to Kosovo, Dačić pointed out.

A long way has been traveled since the beginning of the work on the project, whose completion will realize a strategic, gas and oil partnership between Serbia and Russia, Dačić remarked.