Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the signing in Athens on March 14 or 15 of the final agreement for construction of a 280-kilometer (175-mile) pipeline carrying Russian oil from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, sources told Kathimerini yesterday. The deal, initialed in Bulgaria last month, had been expected to be signed today, but Greek Development Ministry officials said the three parties - Greece, Bulgaria and Russia - were still looking for a suitable date for the ceremony and denied there was any delay in the process. Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov is also expected to attend the signing. The pipeline, bypassing Turkey's Bosporus, would carry oil from Bulgaria's Black Sea port of Burgas to the Greek port of Alexandroupolis and is tentatively scheduled for completion by 2010.

Piscines Ideales finished top among companies participating in the «Best Workplaces 2007» competition by the Great Place to Work Institute Hellas. Also in the top 20 are Microsoft Hellas, Xerox Hellas, Genesis Pharma, Abbott Laboratories Hellas, Kri Kri, International Life, Johnson Diversey Hellas, Organon Hellas, Johnson & Johnson Hellas, Iatrika Proionta, Trofeklekt Masterfoods, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Velti, Citibank Consumer Bank, Piraeus Bank, Nestle Hellas, Mellon, Pernod Ricard Hellas, Intralot and the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (EAB).

Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems Ltd said yesterday it has reached an agreement with the Bulgarian government regarding cancellation of the contract to modernize Bulgarian air force Mi-24 and Mi-17 helicopters. Bulgaria said at the end of January that it had canceled a -57.3 million ($75.24 million) deal with Elbit to upgrade 18 Soviet-made helicopters due to delays. «The agreement recognizes that the cancellation of the contract is by mutual consent and is not a result of breach of obligations by either party,» Elbit said in a statement. Elbit said it believes the cancellation will not have a material adverse effect on its results of operations. Under the agreement, Elbit will return to the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense part of the advance payments received. (Reuters)

Newly listed Turkish airport operator TAV has pre-qualified for a tender to operate two airports in Abu Dhabi, it said yesterday. The tender is for Abu Dhabi and Al Ain International airports, the Turkish company said in a statement to the stock market. TAV, which listed on the stock market last month, operates airports in Turkey's three largest cities and is planning broad foreign expansion. (Reuters)

Turkish inflation is set to rise in March due to rises in the tobacco and communications sectors, driven by telephone price hikes, pushing up the index by 0.6 percentage points, the central bank said. In its report on February inflation, the central bank said yesterday that after a rise in March, annual inflation was expected to start easing gradually from the second quarter. (Reuters)