Russia, Turkey Reach ‘Political Decision’ on Gas Pipeline, NPP Projects

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan(R) pose for the media prior their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Antalya, Turkey, late 15 November 2015. EPA/BGNES

Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said that Russia and Turkey have reached a political decision of the construction of two key energy projects: Turkish Stream gas pipeline and the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, sputniknews.com reported in Tuesday.

“There are political decisions on these two projects. That is, there is no question about whether the projects will or will not be implemented," the Russian news outlet quoted Zeybekci as saying to reporters.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan would give the "final momentum" to moving the two projects forward at their meeting in St. Petersburg on August 9, according to Zeybekci.

"Our only task is to arrive at a competent solution that will meet the interests of the two countries," Zeybekci said.

The Russian and Turkish energy ministers will establish a working group on the Turkish Stream project, Alexander Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russian gas giant Gazprom said earlier on Tuesday, according to sputniknews.

Next month’s meeting between Putin and Erdogan will be the first since Russia and Turkey began normalizing relations following the downing of a Russian military jet by the Turkish Air Force near the border with Syria in November 2015.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek, on a visit to Moscow, said on Tuesday that Ankara and Moscow wanted to normalize relations "as quickly as possible", Anadolu Agency reported.

"Russia is not only our valuable neighbor, but also our important and strategic partner," the Turkish news agency quoted Simsek as saying ahead of a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkadiy Dvorkovich.

"We are here to improve our relations and bring them to an even higher level than before Nov. 24," he added.

Russia suspended talks with Turkey over the Turkish Stream gas pipeline and the Akkuyu nuclear plant amid rising tensions between Ankara and Moscow over the downing of a Russian fighter bomber by a Turkish fighter jet near the border with Syia the previous month.

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