Sino-Russian energy cooperation makes headway
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-09-29 09:32

China and Russia reached four points of consensus on energy cooperation during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Russia from Sept. 23 to 25.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said this showed that Sino-Russian energy cooperation has made a big progress.

Accroding to Kong, the four points of consensus include:

-- Russia will firmly strengthen cooperation with China in the fields of oil and natural gas.

-- Russia will decide the direction of its oil pipeline in Far East region by adequate studies, and Russia will actively consider including China into the oil pipeline network despite what final plan it takes.

-- The two sides both agreed to increase oil trade through land route, aiming at increasing Russia's oil exportation to China to a total of 10 million tons through railway transportation by 2005 and 15 million tons by 2006.

-- The two sides decided to make cooperation plan on natural gas exploitation as soon as possible.

These consensus would put forward the cooperation of mutual benefit between China and Russia in energy sector, especially in the fields of oil and natural gas, Kong said.