Russian President Vladimir
Putin will discuss the possibility of building an oil pipeline from eastern
Siberia to China, Russian Ambassador Sergei Razov said here Thursday morning.
Razov told a press conference that discussions on the feasibility of the
construction of an oil pipeline extending from Russia's Skovorodino to the
Russia-China border are underway between Transneft of Russia and China National
Petroleum Corporation, which are to take charge of the pipeline construction.
The proposed pipeline will be a branch of a planned oil pipeline that runs
from eastern Siberia to Russia's Pacific coast. Lazov said Russia-China
cooperation in the field of energy is "very important." He expressed the hope
that during President Putin's visit to China from March 21 to 22, the heads of
state of the two countries will reach new agreement on energy development.
Energy cooperation between Russia and China has a broad prospect and bright
future, Lazov said.
Lazov and Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Li Hui held a joint press
conference on the Year of Russia to be held in China. Russian President Putin
and Chinese President Hu Jintao will jointly inaugurate the event in Beijing
next week.
Lazov said Russia plans to supply 15 million tons of crude oil to China by
railways in 2006. In addition, the two countries are discussing exports of
natural gas to China.
He said relevant corporations of Russia and China are jointly studying the
feasibility and plan of exporting gas to China. The current task of the two
sides is to complete the business discussions, which are key to the signing of a
large-scale contract of gas supply, Lazov said.
On the cooperation on nuclear energy, Lazov said construction of the Tianwan
nuclear plant in Lianyungang in East China'sJ iangsu Province is the largest
project in the two countries' bilateral economic cooperation. The project will
lay the foundation for future cooperation on peaceful use of nuclear energy, he
said.
Lazov said Russia is willing to play an active role in the development and
implementation of China's nuclear power plan. Nuclear energy cooperation is of
mutual benefit to the two countries and has broad prospects, Lazov
said.