A meeting between Alexander Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee and Zoran Stavreski, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia was held today within the framework of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2011.

The meeting participants discussed the current issues of interaction in the energy sector. The Macedonian party was informed that the feasibility study for the South Stream gas pipeline was nearing completion and had to be finalized in the third quarter of 2011.

Taking into account Macedonia's interest in being connected to the gas pipeline, Alexander Medvedev and Zoran Stavreski agreed to speed up the cooperation with a view to study the feasibility of Russian gas supplies to Macedonia as part of the South Stream project.

Background

Russiahas been supplying Macedonia with natural gas since 1997.

Gazprom delivered 0.12 billion cubic meters of gas to the country in 2010.

The energy consumption by Macedonia is forecast to reach 2.5 billion cubic meters a year after 2030 once natural gas fired power stations are put into operation and the national gasification program is implemented.