Bulgaria and Serbia diversify energy supplies

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — The presidents of Bulgaria and Serbia have launched the construction of the Bulgarian part of a gas link that is designed to diversify the energy supplies of a region that until recently was almost fully dependent on natural gas deliveries from Russia. The 85.5 million-euro ($93.2 million) project that got underway on Wednesday is one of several planned gas interconnectors that would give eastern European Union members and countries hoping to join the 27-nation bloc access to the global gas market. The pipeline extension is intended to bring gas from Azerbaijan through a new pipeline system that ends in Italy and to give Serbia access to ports in Greece that are importing liquefied natural gas