Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Jan 7 2010
Energy, Armenia protocols to top PM’s Russia talks
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an and up to eight Cabinet ministers
will visit Russia on Jan. 12-13 for talks expected to focus on greater
Russian involvement in an oil pipeline linking Turkey’s southern and
northern coasts and the process of rapprochement between Turkey and
Russia’s regional ally Armenia.
The talks are expected to be in the format of a joint cabinet meeting,
not unlike similar meetings held in earlier visits by ErdoÄ?an to Syria
and Iraq. In past remarks, ErdoÄ?an said his government wants to
establish a mechanism with Russia similar to the high-level strategic
councils created between Turkey and Syria and Turkey and Iraq last
year. An agreement to initiate a similar mechanism with Russia was
signed when Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited Ankara in
August. ErdoÄ?an’s visit to Moscow will be the first step in this
direction. Later, another meeting of the two countries’ cabinets is
planned to take place in Turkey.
According to the unofficial program, Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu,
Energy Minister Taner Yıldız, Public Works Minister Mustafa Demir,
Environment Minister Veysel EroÄ?lu, Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker,
Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Ã?aÄ?layan and State Minister Faruk Ã?elik
will accompany ErdoÄ?an for talks focusing on regional problems, energy
projects, joint investment opportunities and international issues.
One of the most important issues on the agenda of the meeting is the
future of the planned Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline. Turkish and Russian
officials are expected to announce an agreement during the visit
allowing Russian oil pipeline operator Transneft and Russian oil
company Rosneft to have a share in the $2.5 billion pipeline, which
will run between Samsun on Turkey’s Black Sea coast and the
Mediterranean port of Ceyhan.
Italy, Russia and Turkey signed an agreement to build the
Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline in October in Milan. Italy’s Eni and
Turkey’s Ã?alık Holding, which each own 50 percent, also signed a
memorandum of understanding with Transneft and Rosneft on the
participation of the Russian companies in Milan. Transneft later said
that Russian interests may get an up-to-50-percent share in the
Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline if the country can supply more crude.
Rosneft has already guaranteed oil supplies for the 550-kilometer
pipeline with a daily capacity of 1.5 million barrels.
Russia and Turkey have also neared completion of the preliminary work
for the Blue Stream 2 natural gas pipeline. During the visit, the two
countries will discuss the possibility of forming a joint work group
between Israel, Russia and Turkey for Blue Stream 2, which is planned
to supply natural gas to Cyprus, Israel and other countries in the
Middle East.
Final hump ahead of Armenia meeting
Peace in the Caucasus will be one of the top issues on the agenda of
the Moscow visit. The joint cabinet meeting will also discuss forming
a Caucasus Cooperation and Stability Platform, a joint mechanism to
solve regional problems earlier proposed by Turkey. A process of
rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia may also speed up following
Turkish-Russian talks.
Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols on normalizing their relations
in October. The protocols are now awaiting approval in each country’s
parliament, and sources told Today’s Zaman that the parliaments may
debate the documents in March. ErdoÄ?an said earlier that Turkey
expected to see progress in efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh
dispute between Armenia and Turkey’s ethnic and regional ally
Azerbaijan so that Ankara could move forward in the process of
rapprochement with Armenia. In Moscow, ErdoÄ?an is expected to urge
Russia to step up pressure on Armenia for a resolution to
Nagorno-Karabakh.
Putin and ErdoÄ?an are also expected to discuss Iran’s nuclear program.
This meeting is also anticipated to put an end to crises that
sometimes erupt between the two countries over fresh fruit and
vegetable exports from Turkey. Another issue that is likely to show up
will be Turkey’s estimated $20 billion nuclear plant tender, for which
Russia is a contender.
07 January 2010, Thursday
ERCAN YAVUZ ANKARA