Approval for a roadmap on a natural gas hub project in Türkiye, proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022, is imminent, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday.
The project is expected to be implemented in 2024, Novak said during an interview with the Russian Rossiya-24 television channel.
The project, currently in its initial stages, requires a roadmap. Novak explained that their Turkish partners will visit the Russian city of St. Petersburg soon, where an exchange of experience and information will take place.
Russian experience in the field will 'be useful to establish an electronic platform and center in Türkiye,' Novak added.
The idea of a gas hub in Türkiye was first suggested by Russian President Putin in October 2022. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also expressed considerable interest in the idea.
The country's efforts to become a natural gas hub resurfaced in September 2023, when Putin and Erdogan met in Sochi. During the meeting, a road map between Russian energy company Gazprom and the Turkish Petroleum Pipeline Corporation BOTAS was referenced, with establishing a joint working group being the next move.
A regional natural gas center would contribute to the security of Türkiye as well as Europe's energy supplies.
Europe is heavily dependent on natural gas and imports, mostly from Russia. Nonetheless, after the Russia-Ukraine war, the EU vowed to eliminate all Russian fossil fuel imports by 2027.
Reporting by Emre Gürkan Abay in Moscow
Writing by Handan Kazanci
Anadolu Agency
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