MOSCOW, October 1. /TASS/. Russia and the Republic of the Congo plan to start the implementation of the Pointe-Noire-Lutete-Maloukou Trechot oil pipeline project in the near future, the republic’s Minister of International Cooperation and Promotion of Public-Private Partnership Denis-Christel Sassou Nguesso said in an interview with TASS.

The signing of the intergovernmental agreement on the pipeline construction will be the first step, after which the creation of a joint venture is planned with Zakneftegazstroy-Prometey Ltd. and the National Petroleum Company, which acts as a customer, to become authorized companies responsible for implementation of the project from Russia and the Republic of the Congo, respectively, he added. "We agreed on finalizing the creation of this venture in a month or less. Heads of authorized companies have already signed a respective agreement, which will enable them to start the work quite fast. It will take us another three months to draft and sign the concession agreement. Once it is done the joint venture will provide the schedule of construction and implementation of the project. Then it will be possible to get started immediately. And we are full of optimism," the minister said.

The republic is facing logistical challenges, which create many problems when it comes to supplies and transportation of ready oil products, with the goal of the oil pipeline project being to improve and upgrade the supply processes, he noted.