Turkish
offici
als
will meet their Russian counterparts later this month to push the button on the
actual launch of a nuclear power plant project, Turkish Minister of Energy and
Natural Resources Taner Yıldız told reporters Friday.
Yıldız is set to
meet Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin on Dec. 13 or 14 to discuss
details of works required to set up a project company.
In May, Turkey and
Russia signed a deal detailing the construction of Turkey's first nuclear power
plant on the southern coast.
"The nuclear power
plant project is moving toward becoming an actual process. Once the project
company is established we will be engaged in licensing the land in Akkuyu,
delivery of the construction site and developing solutions to possi
ble problems on the site,"
Yıldız told reporters at an energy conference in Istanbul.
"I believe our
cooperation with the Russian Federation on this nuclear power plant project will
boost mutual trade," he said.
Turkey is also set to
initiate talks with Japan regarding the construction of a possible second
nuclear power plant on the northern coast of the country, after talks with South
Korea failed.
Turkish officials
are preparing to meet Japanese officials next week to discuss the project,
Yıldız said. "I
think energy talks with Japan
would bring an expansion in relations, especially in transportation and cultural
cooperation."