Elena Teslova
07 December 2018•Update: 08 December 2018
By Elena Teslova
MOSCOW
Russia is ready to extend the TurkStream natural gas pipeline to Greece, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Putin reminded that a pipeline from Greece to Italy has yet to be filled with gas and that it can be used for gas transportation from Russia to southern Europe via Turkey.
"We are discussing this with our Turkish and Greek partners, and it is quite possible. There is a built pipeline from Greece to Italy. We can think together how to fill this route with a real product," he said.
Tsipras, for his part, voiced his country’s interest to be part of the project, saying it will increase Greece’s role in the regional energy domain.
He accused European Union of having “double standards” regarding TurkStream, saying the European Commission “prevents “extension of the TurkStream to Greece.
The TurkStream project is an export gas pipeline consisting of two 930-km (577.8-mile) lines each with a capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters.
The pipeline is set to cross beneath the Black Sea from Russia to Turkey and also further extend to Turkey's borders with neighbouring countries.
The first line is intended for gas supplies to Turkish consumers, while the second is to supply gas to south and southeastern Europe.
