Turkish Stream Draft Deal envisions one leg by end of 2019: Russian Minister

By Azernews

By Gunay Hasanova

Turkish and Russian presidents Recep Tayip Ergodan and Vladimir Putin have met in hopes of turning a fresh page in the two countries’ relations. It was their first meeting since Turkey downed a Russian bomber over Syria last November.

In turn, the meeting served as the beginning of restoration of the cooperation between two countries regarding different issues, as well as, promising to back different energy projects between the sides.

Turkey has confirmed that it’s ready to continue negotiations on the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project, said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich on August 9.

The minister also said that they have also discussed going ahead with Turkey’s Akkuyu nuclear power plant.

"We discussed some investment projects, including the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant. There is some progress here already. The necessary regulatory framework is being finished by the Turkish side. We expect to be able to move forward quite quickly," Dvorkovich told reporters.

In addition, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told that the agreement on the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project envisions the construction of one pipeline leg by late 2019, with a possible expansion to two.

The minister said Russia and Turkey agreed to set up a working group to implement the project aiming to bring Russian natural gas to Southern Europe via Turkey.

"Within the framework of the working group, a draft intergovernmental agreement will be prepared and approved on the construction of at least one leg under the Black Sea with a possible extension to the second leg," Novak told the Rossiya 24 broadcaster.

Forecasting its construction timeline at second half of 2019, the minister added that an intergovernmental agreement on the Turkish Stream could be reached and signed by October.

Novak additionally echoed Russian President Vladimir Putin's earlier comments in saying that Moscow needs EU and the European Commission guarantees that the Turkish Stream infrastructure would be in demand before talk of constructing the pipeline’s second leg.

Addressing the likelihood of the project's third leg, the minister said: "Theoretically, anything is possible, but in a more practical matter we are now looking into what needs to be done in the first place."

The Turkish Stream gas pipeline and the Akkuyu nuclear power plant are major projects for Russia and Turkey.

The construction of the Turkish Stream pipeline to deliver Russian gas to Turkey via the Black Sea was initially scheduled to begin in 2014 but was delayed after the failure to reach an intergovernmental agreement. Negotiations on the project were suspended after downed Russian plane in Syria in November 2015.