Putin to Berlusconi: South Stream May Be Ready before North Stream

Energy | October 22, 2009, Thursday // 15:33|  views

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (L) and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (R) discuss energy issues during a videoconference with Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan (not pictured) in St.Petersburg, Russia, 22 October 2009.

Russia’s Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, has told his Italian counterpart, Silvio Berlusconi, that the South Stream gas transit pipeline might be completed before the similar project in the Baltic.

According to the existing plans, the first lot of the North Stream pipeline connecting Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea is scheduled to be opened in 2011. At the same time, the South Stream, which also passes is not supposed to be ready until 2013.

Putin and Berlusconi met in Russia to discuss the realization of South Stream in which the Italian energy company Eni is a major participant, together with the Russian Gazprom.

Putin and Berlusconi also had a video conference with Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, thus repeating their three-way meeting in Turkey in August 2009.

Earlier this week, Turkey allowed Russia to carry out explorations in its exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea for the proposed future route of the South Stream pipe. Reports in the Russian media said that thanks to that Russia will be able to build South Stream circumventing Bulgaria.

During the video conference, the three Prime Ministers also confirmed their intention to go ahead with the Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline project, which according to a number of analysts is seen as an alternative to the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, which is supposed to be passing through Bulgaria but has been met with opposition by certain factors in the Bulgarian society.

At the end of the conference, Putin has invited Erdogan on an official visit to Russia, which has been accepted.

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Tags: South stream, North Stream, gas, pipeline, natural gas, Vladimir Putin, Silvio Berlusconi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russia, Italy, turkey, Gazprom, ENI, Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, Samsun-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline

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