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VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) – Russia is preparing to conclude an agreement on a new gas transmission line to China, its energy minister said Wednesday.
This comes as the Chinese government strives to move businesses and households to gasoline and coal for heating as part of its fight against pollution.
"Yesterday, during talks with Chinese Xi (Jinping), the Chinese leader decided to conclude an agreement on gas deliveries by the western road soon," said Alexander Novak, Russian Minister of Energy. Vladivostok in the far east of Russia.
"All the technical conditions have been agreed," he added. Discussions on the proposed route have been interrupted in recent years.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Vladivostok.
The so-called western route would come after a road in eastern Siberia through which the Russian gas giant Gazprom should begin supplying China with natural gas in December 2019, gradually increasing the volumes to 38 billion cubic meters per year.
Reportage by Vladimir Soldatkin; Edited by Joseph Radford
