Athens presses for South Stream pipeline

SOFIA, Bulgaria, July 27 (UPI) -- The South Stream gas pipeline to Europe will top the agenda during bilateral talks between Greek and Bulgarian officials Tuesday in Sofia, officials said.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou arrived in the Bulgarian capital Tuesday to generate support for the Russian natural gas pipeline to Europe, Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti reports.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the Greek economy could get help by joining Moscow in pursuing its energy ambitions. The battered Greek economy has become the focus of the European Union as global markets limp out of recession.

Russia aims to diversify its transit options to Europe with South Stream. The project is designed to carry as much as 2.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas each year through the Balkans to southern Europe. A 186-mile section would run from the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria to the Greek coast of the Aegean Sea.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said in early July that he has "come to terms" with the South Stream gas pipeline to Europe and agreed to host a leg of the project. He said a fresh look at the economic aspects made the project attractive for his country.