UPDATE2: Kremlin: Premature to talk about Turkish Stream resumption

(Adds comment of Energy Minister in paragraphs 4–5)

MOSCOW, Jun 30 (PRIME) -- Statements that the Turkish Stream pipeline construction will be resumed are premature although there are framework discussions of its routes, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.

“It may be too early to talk about this. You know, there are various protocols of intent signed by Gazprom in Italy several months ago, and now framework discussions of another routes are held,” he said.

First Deputy Energy Minister Alexei Teksler said, “Everything depends on the position of those countries, or the European Union, or the European Commission. Russia is open for dialogue.”

Energy Minister Alexander Novak said, “We are ready to implement infrastructure projects to lay the Turkish Stream pipeline under bottom of the Black Sea. The main thing is whether our Turkish partners and colleagues are ready, and the second thing is whether our European partners are ready to implement these projects, because there is no clear position of the European Commission concerning building this infrastructure.”

“We are ready to implement this project with particular guarantees of the European Commission,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Novak said he expected the government to decide on the future of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project at a Thursday meeting.

In December 2014, Russia cancelled building the South Stream natural gas pipeline, which was supposed to carry Russian gas to Europe bypassing Ukraine, and decided to redirect all gas supplies to Turkey through the future Turkish Stream pipeline. But talks on the project stalled as relations between the two countries worsened.

Earlier this week, Turkey took steps to mend relations with Russia with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sending condolences to the family of a pilot of a Su-24 bomber Ankara downed in late 2015.

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