Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the signing in Athens on March 14 or 15 of the final agreement for construction of a 280-kilometer (175-mile) pipeline carrying Russian oil from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, Greek daily Kathimerini reported, citing sources.
The deal, initialed in Bulgaria last month, had been expected to be signed today, but Greek Development Ministry officials said the three parties - Greece, Bulgaria and Russia - were still looking for a suitable date for the ceremony and denied there was any delay in the process.Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov is also expected to attend the signing.
The pipeline, bypassing Turkey's Bosporus, would carry oil from Bulgaria's Black Sea port of Burgas to the Greek port of Alexandroupolis and is tentatively scheduled for completion by 2010.
(Kathimerini, 06/03/2007)