Russian Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov believes that pessimistic forecasts for the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project are unlikely to come true.

"After all, the European Union needs additional quantities of gas and this demand will only be growing in the future," Chizhov told Interfax in an interview, in connection with an EU summit planned for June 25-26.

"No matter what they say about the EU dependence on Russian gas and no matter what plans are made to reduce it [this dependence] in every way possible, up to twisting arms of governments in sovereign states, the economy will prevail: gas supplied by pipeline from Russia will be way cheaper and these supplies will be more reliable than any alternatives, either LNG, shale or some other type of gas," the envoy said.

"As to the viewpoints of particular EU countries, including those which expected to join the South Stream project, they have been regularly expressing their interest in being a part of the new [project] - Turkish or Greek [the name does not matter] [Stream]," the head of the Russian diplomatic mission to the EU said.