Serbia, Russia say ready to go ahead with South Stream gas line

BELGRADE/LONDON (Reuters) - Serbia is expected to begin building its stretch of Russia's South Stream gas pipeline next month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday after meeting his Belgrade counterpart.

Against the backdrop of conflict in Ukraine, the pipeline plan has become a focus of tension between Russia and the European Union, with Serbian neighbour Bulgaria this month suspending construction at the behest of Brussels, pending a ruling on whether the project complies with EU law.