Russia's lower house International Affairs Committee Chair Leonid Slutsky said Tuesday he expects that the State Duma could ratify the Turkish Stream gas pipeline deal in January.

Axar.az reports citing to Sputnik, Slutsky said:

"The first spring session of the International Affairs Committee will review the deal. With great probability, the ratification of the Turkish Stream is expected in January".

On October 10, Russia and Turkey signed an intergovernmental agreement envisioning the construction of two underwater legs of the gas pipeline in the Black Sea. The annual capacity of each leg is estimated to reach 15.75 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Pipe-laying work for the Turkish Stream is expected to begin in 2017 and end in late 2019.