Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Moscow has neither abandoned the projected South Stream natural gas pipeline nor what has been considered as its substitute Turkish Stream.
Putin added that Russia is waiting for clear position of the European Commission on both projects, TASS news agency quotes him as saying.
Following talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Russian president noted that there are “certain difficulties of a political nature” with Turkey as concerns Russian export routes in the Black Sea.
In December 2014, Putin declared the cancellation of the South Stream project due to it not being compatible with European Union legislation.
Turkish Stream, which emerged as its replacement, has also temporarily been suspended due to the worsened relations between Moscow and Ankara after the downing of the Russian Su-24 bomber by two Turkish F-16 fighter jets above the Turkish-Syrian border in November 2015.
Since the start of the year, there have been unconfirmed reports of Bulgarian and Russian officials making efforts to revive South Stream.
Recently, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said that a projected natural gasrunning from Russia across the Black Sea to Greece and Italy might pass throughBulgaria or Turkey.
