ISTANBUL, November 27. /TASS/. The roadmap for creating the gas hub in Turkey can be approved before the end of this year based on the results of the Turkish delegation’s trip to Russia, source in Turkish energy circles told TASS.

"Judging by the results of the negotiations in Ankara, work on the roadmap for the hub creation project is proceeding as planned. Its approval can be expected before the end of this year following a meeting with the delegation of the Turkish Ministry of Energy and the Botas company in St. Petersburg," he said.

He was commenting on the results of the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation held in Ankara at the end of last week.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said after the negotiations that the road map is being agreed upon, and a Turkish delegation may arrive in St. Petersburg in the near future to get acquainted with Gazprom’s developments in this area.

About gas hub

In October 2022, Putin proposed creating the largest gas hub in Europe in Turkey and redirecting the volume of gas, the transit of which is no longer possible through the Nord Stream, to this hub.

The Turkish side noted that almost everything is ready in terms of infrastructure for the implementation of the hub project, but it is necessary to amend the legislation. The first legislative decisions were made in early April and concerned the activities of the Turkish oil and gas company Botas and a number of other suppliers. Speaking on September 4 in Sochi following negotiations with Erdogan, Putin said that Gazprom had handed over to the Turkish state-owned company Botas a draft roadmap for the creation of a gas hub in Trakya. He noted that the establishment of a joint working group is on the agenda.