MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia’s Gazprom energy company received the first permits from Turkey through diplomatic channels to construct the offshore section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, Gazprom said in a statement Wednesday.
"I would like to note the speed and coordination of work with Turkish partners in the first phase of the project," CEO Alexei Miller said.
Last week, Gazprom said the project advanced to its practical implementation phase after it received first permits form Ankara. Miller and Turkish Energy Minister Berat Albayrak reached an agreement on August 31 to complete the process of issuing the needed permits to launch the project.
The Turkish Stream project, which was planned to bring Russian gas via the Black Sea into Turkey and southern Europe, was suspended after a Russian Su-24 aircraft was downed by a Turkish F-16 fighter in Syria on November 24, 2015. The sides began a reconciliation process in June, following Turkey's apology to Russia for the incident.
