Paula Bulzan, Arad
Nicolae Ioţcu, the Chairman of the Arad County Council, has signed the papers needed for works to begin on the gas pipeline that will connect the national natural gas grid and the Western-European System: "We have finalized the deeds and we have issued the building permit for the second segment, between Pecica and Nădlac, which is approximately 25 km long". It is estimated that the works will be completed in about 24 months. The gas pipe, evaluated at around 56.4 million dollars, will connect the cities of Szeged (located in South Eastern Hungary), and Arad. The pipeline will be 61.7 kilometers long and will provide Romania with an alternative for gas imported from Ukraine. The European Commission proposed the allocation of 30 million Euros for the finalization of the Arad - Szeged pipeline, as the funding for this project was put on hold for more than five years.