Erdogan: South stream and Nabucco Aren't Rival Projects, but will help diversify energy supplies

Speaking at a joint press conference in Ankara after talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, which focused on boosting bilateral energy cooperation, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that strengthening relations with Russia was one of his foreign policy priorities, adding that ties between the two countries have been developing on the basis of common interests, understanding and confidence. Expressing pleasure at the added momentum of bilateral relations in recent years, Erdogan said that Turkey and Russia share similar views on regional and international matters. Erdogan said that during his meeting with Putin, they decided to hold a high-level intergovernmental meeting to coordinate multidimensional strategic cooperation between Turkey and Russia under the co-chairmanship of the leaders. The first meeting will take place in Russia early next year, he added. Erdogan said top Turkish and Russian officials would hold two or three meetings next year to pursue this process. Erdogan said that he also proposed establishing a Turkish-Russian college and a university in Turkey, and Putin was warm to the proposal. Touching on pacts they signed to boost bilateral energy cooperation, Erdogan said, "I think it would be more appropriate to present the South Stream and Nabucco projects as diversity in energy supply resources rather than alternatives or rivals to each other." He added, "Moreover, these projects will not be sufficient for Europe in the near future, but are measures taken beforehand. Nobody should fear such investments." He also said Turkey places great importance on Russia's participation in the Samsun-Ceyhan crude oil pipeline project. For his part, Putin said that the planned South Stream pipeline would help Turkey become an energy transit hub in the region, stressing the project's importance for energy security in Europe and the region. Putin said that Turkey and Russia had agreed on many issues, but talks on nuclear power plant unit price and construction costs would continue. "We have agreed on giant partnership projects," he said. On trade, Putin said that last year trade between the two countries reached $40 billion, and Russia was Turkey's number one trade partner and Turkey, Russia's number five partner. Putin said that they also discussed simplifying customs regimes, and agreed to open two additional green corridors, including a land and sea corridor, and added that Russia would be buying more Turkish exports in the coming period. Putin said the two countries also agreed to extend a contract on the sale of Russian natural gas to Turkey under appropriate conditions, and to extend the Blue Stream natural gas pipeline and transport gas to third countries, including Greek Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon and Syria. He said they also agreed to construct natural gas depots in Turkey to help the rapidly growing Turkish economy and the Turkish people. Asked about Cyprus, Putin said Russia supports urgent settlement of the Cyprus issue for the sake of both the Turkish and Greek Cypriots. He said Russia supports UN plans, and would continue to improve its relations, particularly economic relations, with both parties on the island. On Nagorno-Karabakh, he said that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev held talks with the Azeri and Armenian presidents to help solve the issue. Russia wants the dispute solved, and is against any controversy in the Caucasus because any dispute in the region hurts Russia's relations with regional countries, Putin said. "Russia can only encourage parties to reach a compromise for a solution," he added.