Serbia preparing to build section of TurkStream

And everything is being done in accordance with European rules, the head of the state-owned natural gas enterprise remarked.

Bajatovic told Prva TV that the Energy Agency of Serbia has already been asked for permission to build TurkStream through Serbia, and that this project in now before the Energy Community, which has a deadline of 60 days to declare itself on it.

"Everything is ready to build that pipeline," Bajatovic said.

When the interviewer remarked that "everything was also ready for the South Stream pipeline, yet the project fell through," Bajatovic relied that there is "a huge difference."

"There is a huge difference, South Stream was being realized on the basis of the interstate agreement, now everything is done according to the Serbian Energy Law, which has implemented in it all the rules of the Third Energy Package, so the papers are done so that the decision cannot be negative," says the director of Srbijagas.

Bajatovic said that there is no reason to fear rhe professional challenges of this project; as for the political ones, " it would then mean that North Stream 2 can go ahead, but the countries of South Eastern Europe, that should have an increase in consumption, we are condemned not to have such an opportunity."

Bajatovic added that there was another "big difference" compared to South Stream: the first pipe of TurkStream through the Black Sea has been laid, while the second pipe that should bring gas from the Turkish coast through Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, to Slovakia or, possibly, Austria, "has essentially gone half way through the Black Sea at 2,200 meters."

He said that Serbia is working on the design, and that the (state) budget shows that funds have been provided for...