MOSCOW, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- Several energy agreements were signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Bulgaria last week, including on the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline and the Belene nuclear power plant.

Despite pessimistic forecasts, the sides also signed an agreement on the South Stream project.

The South Stream gas pipeline, proposed by Russia's Gazprom and Italy's Eni, will run from Russia's Black Sea coast under the sea to Bulgaria, where it will branch off to northern and southern destinations in the European Union, supplying 30 billion cubic meters of gas annually to Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Italy, Austria and Serbia. Deliveries are to start in 2013.

Possible routes for the land section are still under discussion.

Gazprom, the Russian energy giant, will build the underwater part of the pipeline jointly with Eni and its onshore part with the gas companies of the countries concerned.