(Associarted Press) - "Construction of a natural gas pipeline between Colombia and Venezuela will be finished by August, Venezuela's energy minister said.

The pipeline is to carry natural gas from Colombia to Venezuela during an initial period of seven years, and after that it is expected to carry gas from Venezuela's vast, largely untapped reserves to Colombia, Energy Minister Rafael Ramírez said in a statement.

Ramírez said Venezuela and Colombia will sign a natural gas supply contract during a two-day energy summit starting Monday on Venezuela's Margarita Island".