ANKARA, February 3 (RIA Novosti) - Russian energy giant Gazprom called for a new pipeline to be built across the Black Sea to deliver gas through Turkey to third countries in the wake of Ukraine's recent tapping of Russian Europe-bound gas.
"The recent developments in Ukraine indicate that a new pipeline has to be laid down across the Black Sea to run parallel with the [Russian-Turkish] Blue Stream pipeline," Gapzrom Chief Executive Alexei Miller said following negotiations with Turkish Energy Minister Hilmi Guler.
Miller said the new gas pipeline would deliver gas to third countries, including Italy, Greece and Israel, via Turkey.
Miller said the negotiations in the Turkish capital had also considered a project to build a pipeline from Turkey's Samsun on the Black Sea to Ceyhan on the Mediterranean to deliver Russian oil to world markets.
"We also discussed investment in the Turkish energy sector, in particular, the construction of gas storage facilities and a gas distribution network," Miller said, adding that cooperation in electric power supplies had also been on the agenda.
The negotiating sides agreed to develop the projects at the expert level by April 15 and to meet again to reconsider the issues, the Gazprom head said.
"Gazprom considers Turkey to be a reliable energy partner," Miller said.
Earlier, Miller told journalists that Ukraine had siphoned 550 million cubic meters of gas intended for European consumers in January, and added that the company considered its reputation in Europe of great importance. Gazprom has honored its natural gas commitments to Europe and Turkey for more than 30 years, he said.
