The construction of the Western-backed Nabucco gas pipeline bypassing Russia is more effective in boosting Europe's energy security than Russia's South Stream gas project, the head of the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday.

Nobuo Tanaka said the Nabucco gas pipeline would diversify gas supply routes in Europe, even though the gas pipeline was longer and required larger investment compared with South Stream.

Tanaka said, however, the increase in the number of gas suppliers would contribute to Europe's security, apparently referring to the implementation of both projects.

The South Stream project, designed to annually pump 31 billion cubic meters of Central Asian and Russian gas to the Balkans and on to other European countries, involves Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Italy and Greece.

The pipeline's capacity could be eventually increased to 63 billion cubic meters annually. The gas pipeline is expected to start operating in late 2015. The project is part of Russia's efforts to cut dependence on transit nations. It is a rival project to the EU-backed Nabucco.

BUDAPEST, February 24 (RIA Novosti)