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Russian PM Arrives In Ankara For Energy, Economic Talks

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  • Russian PM Arrives In Ankara For Energy, Economic Talks

    RUSSIAN PM ARRIVES IN ANKARA FOR ENERGY, ECONOMIC TALKS

    Xinhua
    www.chinaview.cn
    Aug 6 2009
    China

    ANKARA, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
    arrived in the Turkish capital of Ankara Thursday morning for a one-day
    working visit to the country upon Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
    Erdogan's invitation.

    Talks between the two countries are expected to focus on energy and
    economic issues and ways to boost cooperation and enhance mutual
    relations, Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Burak Ozugergin told
    a press briefing Wednesday.

    During Putin's visit, Turkish and Russian authorities would sign two
    agreements, one on the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the other
    on the exchange of information on nuclear facilities, said Ozugergin.

    Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will attend the signing
    ceremony of one of the agreements to be inked by Turkey and Russia
    in Ankara on Thursday.

    The main reason for Berlusconi's involvement in the talks is to
    discuss energy issues, above all the planned Russian South Stream
    pipeline to transport gas to Europe, Turkish media said.

    Putin's visit came after Turkey and European Union (EU) countries
    signed last month an intergovernmental deal to launch the Nabucco
    natural gas pipeline project that the EU hopes will reduce its energy
    dependence on Russia.

    The Nabucco pipeline is expected to transport gas from Caspian,
    Central Asian and Middle Eastern suppliers to Europe.

    Meanwhile, Russia hopes for Turkey's support for its own South Stream
    pipeline project, which is designed to carry Russian gas across the
    Black Sea to Europe.

    Russian officials have invited Turkey to join the South Stream project,
    an offer Turkey has not openly rejected, said Turkish Today's Zaman
    newspaper on Thursday.

    Without Turkey's support for the South Stream project, the pipeline
    would have to go through the territorial waters of Ukraine under the
    Black Sea instead of crossing Turkey's territorial waters.

    Russia has seen gas supply rows in the past three years with Ukraine
    over price disputes, which led to the freezing of gas transmission
    to some European countries.

    On Wednesday, Ozugergin underlined the strategic dimension of Nabucco,
    saying the project "is not against anyone" and "is part of the assets
    that will make Turkey an indispensable part of the EU," according to
    Today's Zaman.

    During Putin's visit, the latest developments in the South Caucasus,
    Turkish-Armenian relations and the Nagorno-Karabakh problem are also
    expected to be discussed, said the newspaper.
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