MOSCOW, December 19. /TASS/. Future projects regarding construction of natural gas pipelines from Russia to Europe will be taking into account interests of Serbia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.

“We have discussed today cooperation in the economy sphere,” Lavrov said following talks with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic. “Discussion concerned both the energy carriers and the supplies of Russian gas to Europe, including Serbia’s interest to the implementation of projects regarding new routes for the supplies of Russian energy carriers to Europe.”

“We have discussed the situation with the South Stream project,” Lavrov said. “I am sure that all the future decisions made under the new conditions will accommodate interests of Serbia.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on December 1 that the project to build the South Stream gas pipeline was closed due to the European Union’s unconstructive approach to cooperation in that sphere.

The South Stream gas pipeline worth €15.5 billion was intended to pump 67 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas to Europe annually. The pipeline’s underwater section 900 km (559 miles) long was intended to run along the bed of the Black Sea from the Russkaya compressor station on the Russian shore to the Bulgarian coast. The onshore section was planned to cross Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Slovenia and Austria.