BEIJING, November 9 (RIA Novosti) — Russian and Chinese Energy Ministers will sign on Sunday a memorandum on cooperation in gas shipments from Russia to China through the so-called western route, said Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak.
"Today we had a meeting with the Chinese Energy Minister, we discussed all our projects, including the construction of the 'Power of Siberia' gas pipeline via the 'western' route," Novak said. "Today we will be signing the Memorandum on the conditions of gas shipments via western corridor. Our companies, CNPC and Gazprom are still thoroughly elaborating this issue, but between the Ministries we will sign the document today," the Minister said.
According to Novak, during the visit of the Russian delegation to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing, several documents will be signed between the Chinese side and Russia's power generating company RusHydro and oil giant Rosneft. The Minister did not specify what kind of documents these are.
On Thursday Russian President Vladimir Putin said that increasing cooperation with China, including in the energy sector, is one of Russia's top foreign policy priorities.
On October 13 Moscow and Beijing have also signed an intergovernmental agreement to cooperate in the delivery of Russian gas to China via the eastern route. The estimated $400 billion contract between Russia's Gazprom and China's CNPC inked in May provides for the annual export of 38 billion cubic meters of Russian gas via the eastern route to China for a 30-year period starting 2018.
