MOSCOW, May 16 (RIA Novosti) – The deterioration in relations between Russia and the West has impacted gas talks between Russia and China, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said Friday.
“At certain level it [deterioration] obviously has impact,” Ushakov told journalists.
“The talks are tedious and demand efforts by both parties,” he added.
Preparations are underway for a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Shanghai next week to cement economic ties with China, including on energy. During the visit, Russia and China could agree on long-term gas supplies and increasing oil supplies.
Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said in March that the Russian energy giant plans to sign a 30-year contract for delivering gas to China, with annual delivery expected to be 38 billion cubic meters.
The tentative agreement between Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation has been delayed several times in the past over pricing disagreements.
The current standoff between Russia and the EU over tensions in Ukraine has, according to analysts, given an impetus to Moscow’s long-awaited deal on exporting up to 60 billion cubic meters of gas per year via the eastern route to China, the largest market for Russian gas in the Asia-Pacific region.
