Moscow expects the Unit One of Turkey’s Akkuyu nuclear power plant (NPP) to be launched within a shorter timeframe, Russian President Vladimir Putin said after talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday evening, TASS reported.
"We expect to build and launch the Unit One of the [Akkuyu] nuclear power plant within a shorter timeframe," he said.
"Naturally, this would require a coordinated effort from us and our Turkish partners, including timely issuance of all the necessary permissions, documents and licenses," Putin added.
According to the Russian leader, joint Russian-Turkish energy projects - the Akkuyu NPP and the Turkish Stream gas pipeline - were discussed in detail during his talks with Erdogan.
The leaders of Russia and Turkey have recently attended the ceremony to launch the construction of the Turkish Stream’s deepwater section.
All work on the project is being carried out "in strict accordance with the schedule," Putin said.
Erdogan, in his turn, said that Ankara "placed special emphasis on [projects in] the energy sector, especially the the Akkuyu and the Turkish Stream projects."
"We are ready to give them a boost," he said, adding that the two states aim to bring annual bilateral trade turnover to $100 billion.