Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak has said that there is a risk that construction of a subsea pipeline to Turkey could be delayed if a related intergovernmental agreement was not signed soon.
Russia's Gazprom is yet to start laying pipes beneath the Black Sea for the first line of the TurkStream pipeline, which was expected to start operations by 2017 and bring 15.75 billion m3/yr to Turkey.
Earlier this month, Gazprom cancelled a contract with Italy's Saipem to build a link to Turkey but Russian officials have said Moscow was continuing to work on the project.
Russia is currently ready to sign only an agreement to build the first section of Turkish Stream, according to Russian news sources.
Edited from various sources by Elizabeth Corner