MOSCOW — Russia is considering direct deliveries of fuel to Greece to help prop up its economy, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Sunday, quoted by Russian news agencies. “Russia intends to support the revival of Greece's economy by broadening cooperation in the energy sector,” Novak told journalists, quoted by RIA Novosti news agency. “Accordingly we are studying the possibility of organising direct deliveries of energy resources to Greece, starting shortly.” Novak said that the energy ministry expected “to come to an agreement within a few weeks,” but did not specify what type of fuel Russia would supply. Greece's left-wing leadership has made a show of drawing closer to Moscow in recent months as the spat with its international creditors has grown more ugly. In June, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras during a visit to Russia sealed a preliminary agreement for Russia to build a 2-billion-euro ($2.2 billion) gas pipeline through Greece, extending the TurkStream project, which is intended to supply Russian gas to Turkey. Russia “plans to support the renewal of the Greek economy by expanding its cooperation in the energy sector,” Novak told journalists in Moscow, according to the Sputnik news agency. “We are studying the possibility of organizing direct deliveries of energy to the Greek government to begin in the near future,” he said. Last week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow would consider providing financial aid if Athens specifically requests it. Russia and Greece have been significantly boosting political and economic ties in recent months as both countries struggle with economic crises. The move has been viewed with apprehension in some European quarters, given the tensions between Russia and the West over the conflict in Ukraine. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras spoke over the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week to discuss the results of the Greek referendum. At the St Petersburg economic forum in June, Tsipras met with Putin and called for the sanctions against Russia over Ukraine to end. The countries signed a deal to collaborate on the planned Turkish Stream pipeline, which will bring natural gas to Europe from Russia. The pipeline will bypass Ukraine, with which Russia's relations are at an all-time low amid a simmering pro-Russian separatist rebellion in Ukraine's two eastern-most regions. — SG
