Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Milutin Mrkonjic today announced that a meeting of ministers from states members of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) will be held in Belgrade on 11 April.
Mrkonjic told a press conference that the main topic of the meeting, which will be attended by 12 ministers from countries of the Black Sea region, will be the development of regional gas infrastructure.
The Minister said that this is one of the most important international meetings in Serbia this year, recalling that from January to June Serbia is chairing the BSEC.
State Secretary of Infrastructure and Energy Dusan Mrakic noted that Serbia aims to improve communication and dialogue in terms of gas infrastructure development.
The goal is to establish links in the gas sector with all neighbouring states and this will be one of the main topics at the upcoming meeting, he observed.
Mrakic added that the meeting will also discuss the South Stream gas pipeline, whose construction is expected to begin around the end of 2012 or in early 2013.
One of the topics will be the gas storage facility Banatski Dvor, where the first construction stage has been completed and the second stage will soon be launched.
The BSEC member states are Serbia, Russia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, Greece, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Albania, and the organisation was founded in 1992 in Istanbul.
Serbia has been a BSEC member since April 2004.
Source Serbia Gov.