Miller sure politics will not affect joint work on Turkish Stream

Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller is sure the political factors cannot impede the combined efforts of Turkey and Russia on the Turkish Stream project. Talking to reporters, yesterday, Miller explained that “the text of the intergovernmental agreement is being drafted now and no factors can impede it.” He said cooperation has been established directly with the profile ministry in Turkey and it is one of the arrangements that are being implemented now.

As it was reported earlier, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced on October 3 that a Russian fighter jet violated Turkey’s airspace. On October 6, Turkey’s leadership blamed Russia for violating their airspace for a second time within three days, Sunday, on October 4.  Russia’s ambassador to Ankara was summoned to the Foreign Ministry of Turkey for a second time over the incident. The Russian Defense Ministry said on October 3, a Su-30 Russian fighter plane briefly, for a few seconds, entered Turkish airspace by accident as a result of weather conditions. On October 6, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed hope that the incident will not impede the implementation of the Turkish Stream project.

Turkish Stream project looks to supply Europe with gas passing by Ukraine via a gas pipeline from Russia to Turkey running across the Black Sea. In December 2014, the project was made public. It was announced then that the Turkish Stream gas pipeline will have four lines with a total capacity of 63 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. On October 6, Gazprom CEO Miller said the capacities will be reduced to 32 billion cubic meters. The intergovernmental agreement with Turkey has not been signed yet, though Russia sent it to Ankara this July. Some experts say the project will be terminated before starting, like its predecessor – South Stream project.