Turkey for Russian involvement in nuclear power plant construction

RIA Novosti
Turkey is all for attracting Russian companies to take part in the construction of nuclear power plants on its territory, the country's foreign minister said on Wednesday.
"Turkey intends to build nuclear power plants, and we want Russian organizations to take an active part," Ali Babacan told a RIA Novosti press conference.
Babacan said Russia and Turkey were not competitors, but partners complementing each other, adding that the two countries successfully cooperated in energy transit, and that Turkey was also a large consumer of Russian oil and natural gas.
"We know Russia is interested in such projects as the underground storage of gas. There is also interest in a project to build a terminal to process liquefied gas in the port of Ceyhan," he said.
It was earlier reported that Turkish authorities were planning to announce on February 21 the date for holding a tender to build the country's first nuclear power plant, set to be constructed on the Mediterranean coast. Local and foreign-based companies are expected to participate.
Turkey expects to build three nuclear power plants by 2016, worth $7-8 billion.
Babacan also said bilateral trade in 2007 had totaled $20 billion. He went on to comment that Russia was Turkey's second largest foreign partner. Turkey is Russia's fourth partner in terms of the exports of Russian goods.
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