Russian-Chinese gas talks yield massive results, Beijing says
MOSCOW. May 31 (Interfax) - Talks on gas supplies from Russia to China have yielded massive results, Cheng Guoping, aide to the Chinese foreign minister, told a briefing in Moscow.
Cheng said "intense negotiations" took place between Russian and Chinese deputy prime ministers Igor Sechin and Wang Qishan and brought "massive results."
Talks also took place with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, he said.
"The sides achieved unanimity concerning implementation of the projects at hand," the head of state management in energy and the deputy chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, Liu Tienan, said.
"Gas was one of the key items in our talks," he said. "We do not have far to go to reach this final goal," he said when asked about an agreement on the price of the gas.
Commenting on the statement from Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin that Gazprom and CNPC have until June 10 to wrap up the talks and prepare contracts for signing, Liu Tienan said: "Everyone wants that. The result depends on our actions."
Asked about financing for construction of the gas pipelines, he said the sides had reached principle agreement "on financing issues and on issues of a principle nature," he said. "Personally, I of course hope that the eastern and western routes will be developed in parallel."
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