VIENNA, July 9. /TASS/. The construction of the Pointe-Noire-Lutete-Maloukou-Trechot oil products pipeline in the Republic of the Congo, involving Russia, could begin in 2026, Congolese Minister of Hydrocarbons Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua told reporters on the sidelines of the OPEC seminar. "Next year," he said, responding to a question about the timeline. The minister added that Congo is currently seeking financial arrangements for the pipeline’s construction. "We have an interested partner. I believe we will have a meeting next week that, I hope, will finalize the financing arrangements," he emphasized. In early June, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law ratifying the agreement between the Russian government and the government of the Republic of the Congo on cooperation in the construction of the Pointe-Noire-Lutete-Maloukou-Trechot oil products pipeline. The concession agreement will provide the joint venture with the right to create, own, operate, and commercially exploit the project’s assets throughout the concession period, as well as stipulate the procedure for transferring ownership of the assets to the Congolese side at the end of the concession’s term. The pipeline is planned to be built within three years. The 9th OPEC International Seminar is taking place on July 9-10 in Vienna. TASS is the official media partner of the event.