Russia not afraid of transit gas dependence on Turkey - EU envoy Chizhov

BRUSSELS, May 27. /TASS/. Russia is not afraid of getting into a transit gas dependence on Turkey, Russia’s permanent representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov told TASS in an exclusive interview on Wednesday. "As for our projects - we have the Blue Stream pipeline, Turkish Stream is being built. They ask me sometimes if Russia is afraid to face in Turkey gas problems similar to Ukrainian? To which I usually reply that Turkey, firstly, is a major consumer itself, and secondly, it is one of the few countries in this part of the world that can pursue an independent policy. We have problems, and along the project implementation more problems may arise, but it is obvious that the Turkish leadership has the political will to implement these projects," he said. After the refusal of Russia’s natural gas monopoly Gazprom to build the South Stream gas pipeline and taking into account its intention to stop gas transportation through the territory of Ukraine within the next few years, the gas pumping volumes from the Caspian region to Europe will be taken by a new project - the Turkish Stream pipeline. The Southern Gas Corridor gas pipeline system, which the EU is building to the same region, bypassing Russia via the Black Sea, is also to pass through Turkey. Read more