Russian Federation has stepped up its pressure on Turkey, suspending the planned construction of a crucial gas pipeline between the two countries.
Advertisement
Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday that all negotiations over the Turkish Stream pipeline have been suspended.
That would bring Russian Federation natural gas to Europe via a southern route that would bypass Ukraine entirely.
On November 30, ministers from seven EU countries sent a joint letter to the European Commission to stress that Russia’s plans to double the size of the 55 Bcm/year Nord Stream link to Germany to 110 Bcm/year could weaken the EU’s overall security of supply, with central and eastern Europe most at risk. Aliyev said it would also serve to export Azerbaijan’s gas further on to Europe.
Aleksei Miller, the head of Russian gas giant Gazprom, said on December 3 that Turkey would have to ask Russia to reopen talks on TurkStream. It was called off after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near the Turkish-Syrian border last week.
“Turkey must first and foremost contact [Russia] if it is interested in the project. As the commission’s activity was suspended, the work on the Turkish Stream agreement was suspended as well”, Novak has been quoted as saying by Sputnik news agency.
Gazprom in early October said that the pipeline project would be delayed as tensions heightened after Russian Federation launched airstrikes against Islamic State and other targets in Syria, with its planes several times violating Turkish airspace.
Advertisement
Ditching the pipeline project is likely to impact both sides.
