Montenegro to join Russia's South Stream

PODGORICA, Montenegro, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Montenegro said it was signing on to the South Stream natural gas pipeline for Europe after meeting with Russian officials, gas company Gazprom said.

Leonid Chugunov, director of project management for Gazprom, met with Montenegro's Prime Minister Igor Luksic and members of his Cabinet in Podgorica.

"The parties addressed technical capabilities and prospects of Montenegro to join the South Stream project that was a desirable goal of the country according to the announcement it had made in the end of the previous year," Gazprom announced.

Russia aims to diversify its export options to European consumers through South Stream and its Nord Stream counterpart through the Baltic Sea.

South Stream would split with arteries headed to southern Europe after passing through Turkish waters of the Black Sea. It would carry roughly 2.2 trillion cubic feet of gas per year.

Gazprom said it concluded a feasibility study of the offshore section of the natural gas pipeline in the host countries late last year. The Russian government said recently construction for South Stream would start in December.