( Cihan ) - Greek and Turkish prime ministers will this summer inaugurate a new pipeline bringing natural gas from Azerbaijan and other Caucasus producers.
'In July, prime ministers Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Kostas Karamanlis are expected to inaugurate the flow of natural gas from Turkey to Greece,' Greek Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas told Greek state TV from Ankara.
Stretching over 300 kilometers, the pipeline is due to start bringing natural gas to European countries this summer.
The pipeline is subsequently planned to be extended to southern Italy, with work on an additional stretch running 220 kilometers underwater and overland across Greek territory due to begin in 2008.
A tripartite agreement between Greece, Turkey and Italy to extend the pipeline will be signed in the coming months.
The pipeline extension is scheduled to be completed by 2011.