Danial Akhmetov, the prime minister of Kazakhstan, said his country intends to explore oil and gas deposits on the Caspian Sea shelf only in cooperation with Russian oil companies.
"We see the development of the Kazakh Caspian Sea sector in cooperation with Russian oil companies," Akhmetov said after the meeting with German Gref.
The premier added that Kazakhstan was currently considering several joint projects with Russian oil companies Rosneft and LUKoil. Rosneft has been participating in various oil and gas projects in Kazakhstan, including the joint exploration of the Kurmangazy deposit with Kazakhstan's KazMunaiGaz.
The officials also discussed the possible construction of a highway linking Europe and China.
Minister Gref said the transportation ministers of the both countries have been instructed to work out within a month all possible approaches for the implementation of the project.
"The project could be implemented in five or six years," Gref said, adding that an intergovernmental agreement will be needed to implement the project.
