Greece Interested in Extending TurkStream to Its Territory - Source

ATHENS (Sputnik) - Greece is interested in extending the TurkStream gas pipeline to its territory, this will be one of the topics to be discussed during the visit by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to Moscow on 7 December, a source in Athens familiar with the course of preparations for the visit told Sputnik.

"In the energy sector, Greece is interested in the TurkStream, it became clear during recent discussions and from official speeches. For example, the issue was discussed at the meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Yannis Dragasakis and Russia's Ambassador to Athens, Andrey Maslov, in early November, and Alexis Tsipras spoke about the pipeline at the summit in Thessaloniki on 15 November," the source said.

The source also noted that Athens is interested in strategic investments from Russia.

“Although Russian investments in Greece are already significant in the areas of non-strategic interests, such as tourism and real estate, in connection with the visit, strategic investment may be discussed,” the source said.

READ MORE: Serbia Ready to Develop TurkStream Pipeline Project — Energy Minister

Two days earlier, Russian and Turkish presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at a ceremony in Istanbul, gave the command to lay the last pipe of the offshore section of the TurkStream gas pipeline.

The TurkStream project that envisages two pipelines, with the first one expected to supply Turkey, and the second one set to bring gas to southern and southeastern Europe. The first pipeline is expected to be completed in 2019, and Russia's Gazprom is considering extending TurkStream via Bulgaria and Serbia or through Greece and Italy.