Bulgaria started works on the gas interconnector with Serbia on Wednesday, a pipeline that will allow non-Russian gas deliveries to Serbia and strengthen the security of gas supply in Southeast Europe, Reuters reports.

After Russia reduced gas supplies to Europe, as a result of the war in Ukraine, European countries began to look for alternative suppliers and to cooperate more actively in the energy field.

The gas interconnector with a length of 170 kilometers will connect the Bulgarian city of Novi Iskar and the city of Niš in Serbia, to become operational at the end of this year, the Bulgarian Minister of Energy, Rossen Hristov, said on Wednesday, according to Agerpres.

Bulgaria, which had this project in mind since 2012, intends to complete the 62-kilometer section on its territory as early as October. Serbia, which started work on the section on its territory as early as February of last year, also intends to complete the work by autumn, officials claim.

“This project offers new opportunities to the region for diversification and real security of supply,” said the President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, at the inauguration ceremony of the works, which was also attended by the President of Serbia, Alexander Vucic.

“We will gain extended access to European markets. Serbia will gain access to new gas sources, which will come through the southern gas corridor and the liquefied gas terminals in the Aegean Sea,” said Alexander Vucic.

Currently, the only gas pipeline between the two countries carries Russian natural gas that reaches Turkey via TurkStream and from here on to Bulgaria and Serbia.

The new gas interconnector, a project partially financed by the European Union, will give Serbia access to non-Russian gas supplies. In addition, the interconnector will allow the delivery of gas in both directions, which means the diversification of routes connecting Bulgaria to the European gas network.