EUROZONE-GREECE/GAZPROM Gazprom chief in talks with Greece for pipeline deal

Record ID: 135418

  • Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/GAZPROM Gazprom chief in talks with Greece for pipeline deal
  • Date: 21st April 2015
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (APRIL 21, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF MILLER LEAVING TSIPRAS' OFFICE AND BEING GREETED BY REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) GAZPROM CHIEF ALEXEI MILLER SAYING: "We held talks with the Greek prime minister. The Greek government supports the project to create new gas transportation facilities from the border with Turkey.
  • Embargoed: 6th May 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVABNPBWHDWFJ68ZA657VBJ2687W
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Gazprom chief Alexei Miller held talks with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis in Athens on Tuesday (April 21) on a project to transit gas through Greece to Europe.
    "We held talks with the Greek prime minister. The Greek government supports the project to create new gas transportation facilities from the border with Turkey. That project could be executed by a joint Russian and European consortium. There are European companies which have expressed their interest in the project" said Miller, adding, "It should be noted that the project is going to be implemented strictly under the European laws and that point has never been a problem for the Russian side. The Russian side, Gazprom, guarantees that up to 47 billion cubic metres of gas will transit through the Greek territory. There is no doubt that such volumes of transit will allow the Greek side to secure commercial credits in order to execute other projects in Greece."
    Lafazanis told reporters the talks were constructive and the two sides hoped to reach a deal soon.
    During talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow this month, Tsipras expressed interest in Greece's participation in the pipeline.
    Shut out from international markets and with EU/IMF bailout aid frozen, cash-strapped Greece has said it expected to clinch a deal with Russia to take part in the "Turkish Stream" pipeline soon.
    Greece has been locked in talks with the EU and IMF. It risks running out of money within weeks unless it submits a credible reform plan to secure fresh financial aid.
    Russia denied a German media report earlier this month that the deal would bring funds in advance to Greek state coffers.
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