Russia seeks to reinforce gas deal with China

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Russian government will meet on Thursday, Oct 9, to discuss a bilateral agreement with China to secure Gazprom's 30-year gas deal with CNPC, the Cabinet said, according to RIA Novosti.

"Under the agreement, the parties are to support a successful implementation of this contract and provide comprehensive assistance to authorized companies in matters of designing, constructing and maintaining of the gas transport infrastructure needed to deliver Russian gas to China via 'eastern route,' including the cross-border segment of the pipeline," the Cabinet said in its statement.

In May, Russia's energy giant Gazprom signed a $400-billion contract with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) to export 38 billion cubic meters of Russian gas to China annually for a 30-year period. Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2018.

The construction of the 3,000-kilometer (1,860-mile) Power of Siberia pipeline was launched in Yakutia on Sept 1. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the new gas pipeline will significantly strengthen Russia's economic cooperation with the governments of the Asia-Pacific region, particularly with China.

In September, China's Vice Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli confirmed that Moscow and Beijing were to sign an intergovernmental agreement on gas deliveries during the following month.