“Pipeline politics” resurfaced on Thursday with confirmation of telephone contacts between Greek PM Alexis Tsipras and Russian leader Vladimir Putin regarding the possible construction of a natgas pipeline through Greece carrying Russian gas.

The prospect of an extension, via Greece, of the so-called “Turkish stream” pipeline was one of the more prominent items on Tsipras’ official visit to the Kremlin last month – a visit that raised heads in the rest of the European Union amid the ongoing tit-for-tit over sanctions slapped on Moscow over its perceived mischief in eastern Ukraine.

Abandoning the use of the ubiquitous “non paper”, Tsipras’ office on Thursday announced that the two men “discussed the entire framework of bilateral relations, with an emphasis on energy cooperation, as well as the (Greek) Prime Minister’s upcoming participation at an international economic forum in St. Petersburg on June 18-20, 2015.”

The statement said the Greek government was ready to participate in a public company in a construction consortium for the Greece portion of such a project, while Putin reportedly said he would back financing for the Greek construction firm, “with repayment, possibly, from the profits of the company from the operation of the pipeline.”