Russia won’t delay signing gas discount: Energy Minister

ANKARA

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Turkey believes Russia will not delay signing documents which secured a 10.25 percent discount on gas prices, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız has said.

“Both Turkey and Russia have voiced a discount over prices of Russian gas was secured to Turkey at 10.25 percent. The only thing left is to sign the required documents. We believe Russia will not delay to ink the documents,” Yıldız said, ahead of a meeting in Ankara on Aug. 3, as quoted by Reuters. 

Negotiations with Russia on the Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline project were suspended after Moscow failed to sign off on a key gas price discount agreement, Turkish officials told Reuters on July 30.

There have not been any official notices of a halt in negotiations between Russia and Turkey on the Turkish Stream pipeline, according to Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak.

“We do not have any official statements or inquiries in this respect. We continue working together,” Novak said on July 31, in response to media reports of a possible halt in negotiations on the Turkish Stream.

Ankara obtained a 10.25 percent price discount on the 28-30 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas it buys from Russia, Yıldız had said in February, but a final signature has been dragging for months.

“I believe we’ll be signing the documents in the near future,” Yıldız said, upon a question regarding the issue on Aug. 3.

Yıldız noted the signing of the documents would make a positive contribution to the budget of state-run gas grid BOTAŞ. 

He noted the proposal for the launch of the Turkish Stream project came from Russia and there was no problem with the project, adding such a project can begin anytime.