Russian energy giant Gazprom has begun laying pipes for the Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline off the Russian Black Sea coast, Gazprom CEO Aleksey Miller said Sunday, days after the Sochi meeting between Turkish and Russian leaders. “Today, we started the practical implementation of the TurkStream gas pipeline project: pipe-laying within the offshore section. The project has been implemented in strict compliance with the plan,” Miller said in a statement Sunday, adding that “by late 2019, our Turkish and European consumers will have a new, reliable source of Russian gas imports.”