VLADIKAVKAZ, July 01. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Tuesday he will hold a phone conversation with European Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger on Friday, July 4.

“We agreed to get in touch by phone with Oettinger on Friday,” Novak told journalists, adding that the conversation was requested by the European side.

“We will agree on a meeting, discuss issues relating to South Stream and the situation around gas pumping into underground storage facilities and supply of European consumers,” he said.

Russian state-controlled energy giant Gazprom is implementing the South Stream project to diversify deliveries of natural gas to Europe bypassing Ukraine and reduce dependence on transit countries.