Construction of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) is to begin next October, and the link is to become operational by mid-2018, officials from the two countries confirmed on Thursday.
This comes as shareholders in the joint venture company ICGB signed an investment agreement to build the interconnector in the Council of Ministers' building in Sofia, the Bulgarian News Agency reports.
IGB is a key project for both Bulgaria and Southeast Europe as a whole, Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova is quoted as saying.
Petkova stressed the importance of links with Romania, Serbia and Turkey for the implementation of plans to build a gas distribution center in Bulgaria - one that the government put forward late last year after Russia announced the end of the South Stream pipeline project.
Her Greek counterpart, Panos Skourletis, also attended the signing ceremony.
