MOSCOW

Serbia has started the construction of its section of the TurkStream pipeline to carry Russian natural gas to Europe, country's foreign minister, Ivica Dacic, said Wednesday.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow after a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Dacic said Serbia's plans for the construction of the gas conduit did not hinge on Bulgaria's own work to complete Sofia's section.

The TurkStream will carry Russian gas via a pipeline under the Black Sea bypassing Ukraine and onward through Bulgaria, Serbia, and Hungary.

"We will not wait when the Bulgarian part is constructed. We have already started the construction works of the Serbian part of the TurkStream," Dacic told reporters.

"We discussed the progress of TurkStream project implementation, including prospects of its prolongation to Europe and specifically to Serbia," Lavrov said.

On March 5, Serbian Energy Agency approved the construction of the Serbian section of the TurkStream.