RPT - Moscow Says Will Wait For Turkey's Proposal On Sinop NPP If Ankara Makes Such Decision

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th May, 2023) Russia will wait for an official proposal from Turkey on the construction of the Sinop nuclear power plant (NPP), if Ankara considers Moscow as the most appropriate partner in the project, Yuri Pilipson, Director of the Fourth European Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Sputnik.

"We are ready for cooperation with Ankara on the construction of the future Sinop NPP. The construction works of this scale imply thorough research, a comprehensive assessment of the project, the creation of necessary conditions for its implementation, a thorough elaboration of characteristics of a future energy facility.

If local authorities make a decision that the Russian side is the most appropriate candidate for a contractor for a new joint project, we will then wait for an official proposal," the diplomat said.

The successful construction of Akkuyu NPP shows that Moscow and Ankara are able to implement ambitious joint projects despite external pressure, Pilipson added.

The project of the Sinop NPP was initially elaborated by Turkey and Japan in 2013, with Japanese energy corporations withdrawing in 2018 due to financial issues. The construction of a nuclear power plant in Sinop has been repeatedly discussed by Russian and Turkish officials.