Bulgarian gas operator Bulgartransgaz on June 6 signed contracts to begin construction of the Vertical Corridor network of gas pipelines. The Vertical Corridor initiative provides an alternative route to ship gas to the EU market from Greece to Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova, and Ukraine as well as in the opposite direction through EU natural gas and liquefied natural gas systems. It comes ahead of the expected suspension of Russian gas transit through Ukraine at the end of this year and aims to improve security and ensure diversity of gas transportation means and routes from southeastern Europe to the European Union. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service, click here.
