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The delayed construction of the interconnector between Greece and Bulgaria IGB has bestirred US diplomacy, as reported by the Greek daily Kathimerini. The interconnector is designed to reduce Bulgaria's dependence on Russian natural gas, with the prospect of being extended to Romania, Hungary and possibly the countries around the Baltic Sea.

Special envoy and coordinator for US international relations in the field of energy Amos Hochstein has been on a visit to Athens since yesterday and has already met with Greek State Minister Nikos Pappas and US Ambassador to Greece David Pierce.

Early this morning he will meet with Greek Minister of Environment and Energy Panos Skourletis and a trilateral meeting with the participation of Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova will take place immediately afterwards.

Kathimerini writes that the visit of Amos Hochstein aims to prepare the official visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry to Athens in mid-November. The interconnector between Greece and Bulgaria is key to US diplomacy because of the opportunity provided to the Balkan countries to stop being dependent on the natural gas of the Russian Gazprom company.