The TurkStream natural gas pipeline, which will transport Russia's natural gas to Europe through Turkey, has been launched with an opening ceremony at İstanbul's Haliç Congress Center.

 

President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Alexandar Vucic of Serbia, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov of Bulgaria, and energy ministers from the countries attended the ceremony.

 

Ahead of the ceremony, Erdoğan and Putin had a closed-door meeting that took about one-and-a-half-hour. They had a second meeting after the opening of the pipeline.

 

Speaking at the ceremony, Putin began his words saying that "Despite efforts at obstruction, Russian-Turkish cooperation is developing in all fields."

 

Russia and Turkey together can solve some of the world's most complex, ambitious tasks for the common good, he asserted, adding that the two countries will implement "many more mutually beneficial projects in energy, other areas in the future."

 

"I am sure that in the future Russia and Turkey will implement many more mutually beneficial projects both in energy and other areas," he said.

 

Russia's president also highlighted the cooperation between Moscow and Ankara despite "tendencies to raise tensions in the region," apparently referring to the recent row between the US and Iran.

 

Erdoğan also touched on the issue, saying that tensions between Turkey's neighbor Iran and ally US has reached levels that Ankara never desired. "Turkey will do all possible not to allow the region to be drowned in blood and tears," he said.

 

Erdoğan termed the TurkStream project "historic" in terms of bilateral ties and cooperation in the energy field.

 

During his speech, Erdoğan also ruled out any project in the Eastern Mediterranean excluding Turkey. "There is no chance of realizing any project in the Eastern Mediterranean that excludes our country," he said.