"The parties have noted that the issue of diversifying gas exports routes is becoming of high priority in the current circumstances," Gazprom said. In particular, "the realization of the planned South Stream project will allow connecting Russia directly with Europe and strengthening the energy security of the continent," it said. The South Stream project, developed by Gazprom together with Italy's ENI, will carry Russian gas across the Black Sea to Bulgaria, from where it will split into two routes. One line will run southwest to Greece and on to southern Italy. The other will go northwest via Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary and Slovenia to northern Italy, with an offshoot to Austria. The plan calls for the 30-bn cum/yr system to start operating in 2013. Last October, however, Russian media reported that Gazprom was considering an increase of the line's capacity to 31bn cum/yr, with the timeframe for its commissioning to be delayed by two years. Earlier, Miller said that capacities of South Stream as well as the other, similar project – Nord Stream across the Baltic Sea to Germany – might be increased and the projects' timeframe advanced if countries participating in the projects were to make such a request.