ANKARA, September 6. /TASS/. Turkish and Russian working groups in charge of the joint gas hub project are to be created at the level of governmental agencies and companies, but no prompt results should be expected from them, a source in Turkey’s energy circles has told TASS.

"Indeed, such working groups are to be created in accordance with the leaders’ agreement. We presume that the work will be carried out both at the level of relevant governmental agencies and at the level of companies - Botas and Gazprom. However, it should be understood that creating a hub for gas trade is a complex issue. There may be no quick results, as putting [the project] into practice may take time," the source said.

He added that the gas hub project was aimed at international customers and, therefore, it would require "serious work with supplies and buyers," as well as legislative amendments and initiatives.

In October 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed establishing such a hub in Turkey to redirect the lost gas transit flows through the Nord Stream pipeline. Turkey has said that almost everything is ready to start the project in terms of infrastructure, but that legislative amendments are needed. The republic’s parliament made the first decisions on the operations of Turkish oil and gas producer Botas and a number of other suppliers in early April.

At a press conference after talks with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan on September 4, Putin said that Gazprom had handed over to Botas a draft roadmap to implement the gas hub project in Turkey. Establishing a joint working group and coordination of the legal framework are on the agenda, the Russian leader added.