TURKISH ENERGY MINISTER DEPARTS FOR RUSSIA

Holding a press conference prior to his departure from Ataturk Airport, Turkish Natural Resources and Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said that he would pay a two-day visit to Moscow upon an invitation from Russian Energy Minister Sergey Ivanovich Shmatko.
Yildiz said cooperation opportunities in energy sector, commercial, industrial and construction activities, energy packages including Blue Stream 2 and nuclear issue would be on the agenda of his talks in Russia.
Upon a question on whether Nabucco Project would lose its significance due to the Shah Sea agreement signed by Russia and Azerbaijan, Yildiz said Shah Sea and Nabucco projects were not alternatives of each other.
"These are different projects in different platforms. Shah Sea and Nabucco are not alternatives of each other. Choosing one of them does not mean that we would give up the other," Yildiz said.
Commenting on the clearing of the mine-fields in the south-east of Turkey and oil exploration licenses, Yildiz said Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) and private sector had licensed fields in the region, adding that nearly 2,500 barrels of oil was drilled in the licensed fields within the mined territory every day.
"The company that will clear the mines in those fields will not get the possession of the oil or natural gas reserves in such lands. This is a separate process that has separate regulations," Yildiz said.