Moscow officially connects fate of Turkish Stream with decision of Brussels

Russia can resume the work on the Turkish Stream gas pipeline this year already. The Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak has linked the fate of the project, stopped in autumn on a background of the conflict between Moscow and Ankara, with the decision of the EU: Brussels should clearly express its interest in the environment, where the key Russian project to bypass the Ukraine will be Nord Stream-2. At the same time, the southern EU countries provide signals that they would also like to come back to the idea of ​​laying a direct gas pipeline from Russia through the Black Sea. According to analysts, now the situation for the implementation of this project looks better than a year ago, when South Stream was abolished.

Russia still considers the possibility of building the Turkish Stream gas pipeline this year, the Energy Minister Alexander Novak stated. "I know that the European Commission and the Energy Ministers of the European countries are working on this issue. From our side, we are ready to implement the project," - he said. However, the official stressed, the project can be resumed "if the interest is definitely expressed by European and Turkish partners". And the key new gas pipeline to Europe for Russia will be Nord Stream-2 through the Baltic Sea.