Turkey can become a distribution center for Russian gas

Europe will be able to buy Russian natural gas via Turkey, said Turkish President Recep Erdogan. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that Russia could create a major gas hub in Turkey. According to Vladimir Putin, Ankara can build a distribution center to deliver gas to third countries, especially the European ones, if they are interested in buying Russian gas, Euronews Bulgaria reported. Construction works are expected to start as soon as possible, President Erdogan said. Erdogan said that Russian and Turkish energy authorities would work together to find the best location for a gas distribution centre, adding that Turkey’s Thrace region, which borders Greece and Bulgaria, appeared to be the best spot. It will take at least three or four years and billions of USD to build the necessary infrastructure. “The big question is will there be European buyers for this gas”, Igor Yushkov, senior analyst at the Moscow-based National Energy Security Fund, said for lenta.ru.

Italian shipping company privatizes the Greek port of Igoumenitsa

The Italian shipping company Grimaldi privatized the Greek port of Igoumenitsa for more EUR 84 million. This is Italy’s second-largest investment in Greece. In 2017, the Italian National Railway Company Ferrovie dello Stato acquired the Greek rail company TrainOSE. According to the Italian company, the privatization of the Igoumenitsa port aims at managing the constantly increasing flow of goods coming from Bulgaria, Turkey and Romania on their way to the Italian ports of Bari, Brindisi and Ancona, the BNR’s correspondent in Italy Elena Shahanova said.

Romania and Cuba to cooperate in healthcare

Romania’s Minister of Health Alexandru Rafila and his Cuban counterpart José Angel Portal Miranda signed on Tuesday a framework document establishing cooperation in the field of healthcare between Romania and Cuba, Radio Romania International announced. The two ministers discussed in Havana the possibilities for exchange of best practices in healthcare, the training of health professionals and collaboration in the pharmaceutical field. During his visit to Cuba, Alexandru Rafiladelivered a report at the International Health Convention Cuba-Health 2022

Zoran Milanovic: Croatia will not provide military training for Ukrainian soldiers

Croatia’s President Zoran Milanovic said he would block plans to provide military training for Ukrainian soldiers, the Croatian Radio-Television (HRT) reported, quoted by Focus news agency. “As the supreme commander of the country’s armed forces, I will not approve this. I do not support this idea, because I do not want Croatia to be involved in this war more than is necessary. We are showing fairness and solidarity, and that’s it”, Zoran Milanovic said.

Serbia to start manufacturing drones

Serbia will start manufacturing “Pegasus” drones for its armed forces, rtv.rs informed. “The future of defense industry lies in unmanned aerial vehicles, robots and artificial intelligence, and in this sense we do not want to lag behind anyone in the world”, Serbia’s Minister of Defense Nebojsa Stafanovic said. The first drones will be put into service by the end of this year. Later, the serial production will begin. The implementation of the Pegasus project would not have been possible without China’s help, RTS reported. The technological assistance for the completion of the Serbian drones was part of the contract under which Serbia received Chinese SN-92 drones in 2020. Initially, the Serbian drones will be armed with Chinese missiles, and later with domestic weapons. The drones come with a ground station developed in Serbia with Chinese support.

Compiled by: Miglena Ivanova

English version: Kostadin Atanasov