Russia ready to extend TurkStream to Greece: Putin

By Elena Teslova</p> <p>MOSCOW (AA) – Russia is ready to extend the TurkStream natural gas pipeline to Greece, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.</p> <p>Speaking at a joint news conference with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Putin reminded that a pipeline from Greece to Italy has yet to be filled with gas and that it can be used for gas transportation from Russia to southern Europe via Turkey.</p> <p>&quot;We are discussing this with our Turkish and Greek partners, and it is quite possible. There is a built pipeline from Greece to Italy. We can think together how to fill this route with a real product,&quot; he said.</p> <p>Tsipras, for his part, voiced his country’s interest to be part of the project, saying it will increase Greece’s role in the regional energy domain.</p> <p>He accused European Union of having “double standards” regarding TurkStream, saying the European Commission “prevents “extension of the TurkStream to Greece.</p> <p>The TurkStream project is an export gas pipeline consisting of two 930-km (577.8-mile) lines each with a capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters.</p> <p>The pipeline is set to cross beneath the Black Sea from Russia to Turkey and also further extend to Turkey's borders with neighbouring countries.</p> <p>The first line is intended for gas supplies to Turkish consumers, while the second is to supply gas to south and southeastern Europe.