VLADIKAVKAZ, July 1. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s Finance Ministry intends to impose an excise duty on natural gas exported to Turkey via the Blue Stream gas pipeline to yield 40 billion rubles ($1.2 billion) for the state coffers annually, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on Tuesday.

“We’ll introduce an excise duty on gas exported to Turkey via the Blue Stream pipeline. No export or excise duty is currently levied on these supplies. Meanwhile, the gas pipeline’s costs have already been recouped. The tax will yield 40 billion rubles annually,” Siluanov said.

The Russian finance minister said: “we are not talking about raising a gas price for Turkey. We are talking about withdrawing money for taxation.