Russia Not Interested In New Route For South Stream

Baku, Azerbaijan, April 24



By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:



Russia does not intend to change the South Stream gas pipeline's route, TRT Haber TV channel "ed Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz as saying on April 24.



Yildiz said Turkey and Russia discussed the construction of the South Stream's new route, which is proposed to be constructed not through the seabed of the Black Sea.



The minister stressed that the Turkish side intends to discuss this issue in the future with the management of Russian Gazprom, which is the largest supplier of gas to Europe.



"The crisis in Ukraine will not affect economic relations between Turkey and Russia, as Ankara and Moscow are strategic partners," he said.



South Stream will have a capacity of 63 billion cubic meters and run through the Black Sea to the South and Central Europe, bypassing Ukraine, in order to diversify the natural gas export routes.



South Stream will deliver first volumes of gas in late 2015. The pipeline will start working at full designed capacity in 2018.



South Stream project's participants include Gazprom (50 percent), Italian Eni (20 percent), Wintershall (15 percent) and the French EDF (15 percent).



Translated by E.A.



Edited by S.I.