Russia's energy minister says Moscow and Beijing will discuss joint energy ventures in third countries next year and will likely reach agreement on the price of natural gas that Moscow wants to sell to its energy-hungry Asian neighbor.
Sergei Shmatko on Friday described China as a “unique” partner that shares Russia's vision of long-term energy deals with stable price.
Efforts by China and Russia to establish gas ties have been stalled for years, mainly because of disagreement over prices. Shmatko chided Europe for being indecisive about how much gas it wants to buy from Russia in the long term.
Europe is Russia's largest export market for gas and oil, but Moscow has been seeking to diversify its markets as the EU strives to break away from Moscow's energy grip. - Sapa-AP