The draft-agreement over project South Stream, one fork of which is to pass through Macedonia's territory, will be submitted to the country's authorities by the year-end, said Deputy-Minister for Regional Development and co-chair of the inter-governmental commission for commercial-economic and scientific-technical cooperation Maxim Travnikov at Wednesday's meeting with Minister of Transport and Communications Mile Janakieski, MIA reports from Moscow.

The agreement stipulates Macedonia's involvement in South Stream through increase of gas deliveries, i.e. enhancement of technical possibilities of the existing gas pipeline, as well as construction of new ones, in line with agreements concluded between Russian company "Stroytransgaz" and the Macedonian Government.

"The agreement aims at meeting Macedonia's gas needs, including future energy projects built in the country", said Travnikov.

Minister Janakieski asked for closure of technical issues by December, followed by exchange of official documents and launching the construction of a national gas distribution network in Macedonia.

"It is realistic to expect a start of the network's construction next year", he stressed.

The meeting also tackled the opening of direct air routes between Macedonia and Russia, with Travnikov saying he would raise the issue before several Russian companies over the possibility of opening such route.

Pertaining to tourism, Travnikov said Russian travel agencies and the Macedonian Embassy to Moscow would cooperate in promoting Macedonian as an attractive destination.