Astana (EFE).- Russian President Vladimir Putin today officially proposed to his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to create a Russian gas distribution center in Turkey, which would also allow the creation of a platform price regulation.
During a bilateral meeting, held within the framework of the summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Putin assured that he had already proposed to Gazprom to study the construction of a network of gas pipelines and the creation of a gas center in Turkey, intended to be sold to third countries, mainly European.
Turkey was “very interested” in Russia’s proposal to create a Russian gas distribution center on Turkish territory for third countries, especially European ones, the Kremlin said today after the meeting.
Putin’s intention is to divert lost gas transit through the Baltic Sea route through the Nord Stream gas pipelines – fully or partially disabled due to leaks and the German blockade – to the Black Sea region to create in Turkey a distribution center for Europe, which is reducing its dependence on Russian fuel
But the head of the Kremlin believes that Russia and Turkey could also together create a platform “not only for the supply of gas, but for determining the prices, which – in his opinion – today are exorbitant”.
Putin pointed out to Erdogan that these prices could be “easily” regulated at a normal market level without political nuances.
The TurkStream gas pipeline
Regarding Russian hydrocarbons, including gas, the Russian president stressed that Turkey is currently “the most reliable way to supply Europe” via the TurkStream gas pipeline, an infrastructure that already transports Russian gas to Turkey and several countries. of southern and south-eastern Europe.
The TurkStream, located at the bottom of the Black Sea, can transport up to 31.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Romania, Hungary and North Macedonia are thus supplied.
Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulgínov said Thursday in Moscow that the project should not only be negotiated with Turkey, but also with “friendly” European countries.
Erdogan offers to help Russia export fertilizers to poor countries
For his part, the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, proposed this Thursday during his meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that Moscow should export fertilizers to developing countries via Turkey.
“We emphasize that we want to strengthen the Istanbul agreement (for the export of grain from Ukraine), which also includes the shipment of fertilizers from Russia to underdeveloped countries via Turkey,” Erdogan said. during an appearance with Putin in Astana, moments before starting your private. bilateral meeting.
Regarding Putin’s plans to make Turkey a distribution center for Russian gas, Erdogan limited himself to recalling the collaboration with Moscow in the construction of the first Turkish nuclear power plant, located in Akkuyu, on the Mediterranean coast.
“It would be nice if it could start operating in the first months of next year,” said the Turkish president, recalling that a second factory is also being built in Sinop on the Black Sea coast.
The Turkish president clarified that when they are inaugurated, “each will supply ten percent of our energy needs”.