MOSCOW, October 23. /TASS/. Russia maintains the option of laying the second branch of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline through Greece, Russian Minister of Energy Alexander Novak told Anadolu news agency.

"Gazprom has signed road maps with the relevant ministries of Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary on the development of national gas transmission systems in accordance with the applications of Gazprom Export. But there is also a supply option in the direction of Greece, and further through the planned pipeline Poseidon to the Italian market," the minister said.

According to Novak, to date, construction of 370 km of the pipeline is completed. In the near future, a protocol on commencement of construction of the onshore transit part of the gas pipeline should be signed. Construction work is planned to be completed by 2019.

In May, Gazprom started construction of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline. The project involves construction of two threads with capacities of 15.75 bln cubic meters each. The first branch is intended for gas supplies to Turkish consumers, the second - for gas supply to the countries of South and South-Eastern Europe. The route of the second branch has not yet been determined, Gazprom is negotiating with several countries, including Greece and Italy.

At the end of September, Head of Gazprom Alexey Miller and Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova discussed supplies of Russian gas and its transit through the territory of Bulgaria in the context of the construction of the Turkish Stream. In June, Gazprom signed a roadmap with Bulgaria to develop the gas transportation system.

Bulgaria expects that the transit of gas through its territory through the Turkish Stream pipeline will reach 10 bln cubic meters.