MOSCOW, November 8. /TASS/. Russia’s Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev is optimistic about further decision regarding the implementation of the Nord Stream and Turkish Stream pipeline projects.

Talking to reporters after meeting his Italian counterpart Carlo Calenda he said:

"Certainly we discussed it. I won’t tell you details but we are determined to a positive settlement of this matter in the near future," he said adding that it also concerns the second line of the Turkish Stream (intended for gas transportation to European countries from Turkey).

"We are determined to remove the existing obstacles on the way towards the implementation of large projects, including the Turkish Stream," the Minister said.

Ulyukayev also stressed that the European Commission should clarify its position on the project.

"Look, what we had with Nord Stream-1 project. As for Opal (a German pipeline extension of the Nord Stream - TASS) the decision has just been made, they could not do it for four years and the gas pipeline was loaded by 50%," the Minister said.

After Russia abandoned the South Stream project because of the requirements of the EU that insisted that the gas pipeline should comply with the terms of the so-called Third Energy Package, it was decided to build the Turkish Stream.

Later, however, the negotiations on the project were suspended, in particular due to the crisis in the bilateral relations between Russia and Turkey.

The project involves the construction of a gas pipeline across the Black Sea to the European part of Turkey, and further to the border with Greece.

The length of the project the offshore stretch should be around 910 km, the onshore section on Turkish territory will be 180 km long. The capacity of each of the four lines is planned at of 15.75 billion cubic meters. The total project cost was estimated at 11.4 billion euros.