Serbian Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Milutin Mrkonjic has stated that giving up on the South Stream gas pipeline project is not a possibility, adding that he believes that Republika Srpska (RS) is a part of the project.

"We discussed with the RS government representatives what would be RS's interest to connect to the stream. We will inform our Russian partners about it. I believe that RS can be called a significant factor in the realization of the South Stream, and I am convinced that it will join the project," Mrkonjic stressed.

He said that a group of experts working on the project visited Serbia last week, adding that the information that Serbia is withdrawing from the project is not true.