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South Stream construction to begin December 2012

Gazprom has all that is necessary for launching the construction way ahead of schedule, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said at the session

MOSCOW, January 20 (Itar-Tass) — The construction of the South Stream gas pipeline will begin already in December 2012, a report of Russia’s Gazprom gas giant said on Friday following a session on that issue.

“In line with an instruction of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin a decision was made to speed up the implementation of the project. The session approved a detailed plan of moves that will make it possible to launch the construction of the South Stream pipeline not in 2013 as planned earlier, but already in December 2012,” the report stressed.

Gazprom has all that is necessary for launching the construction way ahead of schedule, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said at the session. “For that we already have international legal framework, a huge interest of all participants in the project in Europe, necessary financial resources and a unique experience of carrying out large-scale projects for gas transmission through sea. The project is in demand, is much-awaited, and we begin its implementation,” he stressed.

The schedule of South Stream construction worked out by Gazprom will be in February submitted to the board of directors of South Stream Transport AG, which will build the sea section of the pipeline.