Russia offers Turkey a role in its South Stream gas pipeline to EuropeJuly 2, 2009 - 11:38 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia has offered Turkey a role in its South Stream gas pipeline to Europe, Russian news agencies reported on Wednesday.Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, Russia's top energy official, told Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz that Turkey is welcome to participate in the South Stream project, which aims to transport Russian gas under the Black Sea through Eastern Europe to Austria and Italy. "We hope that the Turkish side will look at our offer and that we will cooperate further so that our offer is more attractive and clear to our partners," Sechin told reporters in Moscow after the meeting with Yildiz, the news agencies reported. He did not give details of what specific role Turkey could play in the planned South Stream pipeline, which in its current form does not cross Turkish territory. Turkey is a crucial partner in the Nabucco project, which Europe is counting on to ease its energy dependence on Russia. Asked about the benefits of Russia's offer over Nabucco, Sechin said: "The clear economic accounting, the coordination of all the factors, and the efficiency should clearly show which project is the best," Itar-Tass news agency reported. Russian and Turkish Energy Ministries will also discuss gas distribution issues upon completion of the second stage of Blue Stream construction. South Stream is a proposed gas pipeline to transport Russian natural gas to the Black Sea to Bulgaria and further to Italy and Austria. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Pashinyan visits flood-hit region Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, June 8 visited the disaster area in the Lori province. €3.5 mln EU grant to support justice reforms in Armenia The European Union has paid €3.5 mln grant to Armenia within a €11mln program on Support to Justice Reforms. Yerevan reacts to Baku’s proposal to see Minsk Group abolition Alen Simonyan has declared that Armenia is taking steps aimed at concluding a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. |