MOSCOW, November 10 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is planning to supply 10 million metric tons of oil to China this year and 15 million tons next year via railroad, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov said at a government session Thursday.
He said it was necessary to focus on the implementation of the $11.5-billion East Siberia-Pacific pipeline project and to settle all the issues surrounding the project. Although Fradkov signed a resolution on the pipeline's construction in late 2004, there have been delays to the project. In particular, environmentalists have objected to the pipeline's route, which would take it near Lake Baikal, the world's largest freshwater body.
"The main thing is not to link all [export] prospects to railroads," Fradkov said.
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov mentioned the target of raising Russia's oil supplies to China, whose rapidly developing economy and demand for oil is expected to increase by 5%-7% a year, on an official visit to Sanya in southern China on November 1.
