BY ALEXANDER MALEDOVAThe Russian government says it has built two new gas stations in Syria, the first in the countrys northwest and the second in the northeast, as the conflict in the war-torn countrys northeast enters its third year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the new gas fields in the town of Maverik, near the border with Turkey, on Monday.

The government said the two gas stations were built by a joint venture between the Russian and Turkish companies.

Russian state news agency TASS said the Maverkis are being built as a joint project of Russia and Turkey.

It said the company will build one new gas facility in Maverikh and two in the neighbouring town of Tel Abyad, both with a capacity of 2.4 million cubic meters (1.8 million cubic feet).

The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.

In September, a new Turkish gas station opened, a day after Russia built another one.

The Turkish and Russian governments also announced in January a deal to jointly develop gas infrastructure in the Syrian province of Idlib.