China, Russia discuss energy cooperation

by The Associated Press

The Russian energy minister discussed energy cooperation with Chinese officials, including plans for oil and gas pipelines to feed China’s growing energy needs.

Victor Kaluzhny met March 22 with Zeng Peiyan, China’s state planning minister, and Vice Premier Wen Jiabao for talks in preparation for a future meeting of the Chinese and Russian premiers.

“We worked successfully,” and “found plenty of common points with our Chinese counterparts,” he said.

Kaluzhny, speaking through a translator, said Russia agreed within two months to provide the Chinese with two draft plans for oil and gas pipelines from Russia to China, and proposed that a pipeline be built through Mongolia.

They also discussed transmitting electricity to China, building electric power plants in China and the development of eastern Siberia, he said.

“We would like to peg the development of our eastern areas, and especially Siberia, with future cooperation with China,” Kaluzhny said. He said he was hopeful that Russia-China energy cooperation would be “in depth and successful.”

He said they asked Chinese leaders for more information on the nation’s future energy needs, because “it would give us an opportunity to plan our cooperation, especially in gas shipments from Russia to China, until the year 2020.”

“Russian companies are very interested about the opportunities in the Chinese market,” added Kaluzhny, who visited China with a delegation of Russian oil and gas company executives.