Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said...
In the fall of 2009, Papandreou said on the eve of parliamentary elections that he supported the project but would seek better terms if he became premier, primarily those concerning environmental protection.
The Greek premier told RIA Novosti the necessary procedures, "including studies on the environmental impact and the Passage Agreement should be finalized within the next six months."
"Construction will begin immediately after that," he added.
Burgas-Alexandroupolis is a project between Russia, Greece and Bulgaria to pump Russian and Caspian oil from the Bulgarian Black Sea port of Burgas to the Greek Aegean port of Alexandropoulis. The three countries signed an agreement to build the 280-km (174-mile) Trans-Balkan pipeline in 2007, following several years of talks.
Papandreou"s latest statement comes as he heads to Russia on Monday for a two-day working visit to discuss issues of bilateral cooperation, including joint energy projects.