Turkey counts on further stable cooperation with Russia on their remaining joint energy projects, Turkey's Energy Minister Berat Albayrak said Wednesday.

The minister also expressed hope for continued implementation of joint long-term and medium-term nuclear energy projects.

"Of course, we are evaluating various energy supply alternatives, we are looking into diversifying supplies and finding new suppliers.

However, current reliable projects in the energy sphere, which we have and which have not been problematic, will carry on steadily as before," Albayrak said in an interview with the Turkish NTV channel.

Russia and Turkey signed an agreement to construct and operate Turkey's first nuclear power plant at the Akkuyu site in the southern Turkish province of Mersin, in May 2010.

The plant, at an estimated cost of $20 billion, is expected to produce about 35 billion kilowatt-hours per year.

Turkey's downing of a Russian Su-24 jet over Syria on November 24 cast doubt on the further development of the Akkuyu project.

In early December, a source familiar with the situation told RIA Novosti that construction of the Akkuyu facilities was continuing despite the tensions in bilateral relations.

Soon after the Su-24 incident, Russia introduced a set of economic measures against Ankara, prohibiting the import of some products and suspending several economic activities.

Russia's Turkish Stream gas pipeline to Turkey also fell victim of the economic restrictions, with Russia suspending the project and halting the creation of a joint Russian-Turkish investment fund in late November.

Source: Sputnik News