Russian energy monopoly Gazprom has completed the preparatory work on the Turkish Stream gas pipeline and intends to start laying its sea section in the coming days, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller told Russian President Vladimir Putin at their latest meeting, Prime news agency reports.
In turn, Putin said that the issue of Turkish Stream had been discussed during the talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to Prime.
”I am confident that our Turkish partners will provide effective support, it will be ensured,” the Russian president said.
”We must start working. Start,” Putin added.
Russia and Turkey in October last year signed an intergovernmental agreement on the Turkish Stream pipeline project. The deal assumes the construction along the bottom of the Black Sea of two strings of the main gas pipeline with a capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters of gas each.
One thread will provide gas deliveries directly to the Turkish market, while the other one is aimed to ensure gas supplies via Turkey to European consumers. The construction of the second line will depend on the interest of Europe in Russian gas and whether Russia will obtain corresponding guarantees.
As reported by UNIAN, Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolev said that the construction of the two branches of Turkish Stream gas pipeline as well as Nord Stream-2 will deprive Ukraine of revenues of about $2 billion a year, as well as reduce nearly fivefold the cost of the Ukrainian gas transportation system.
