Federation Council ratifies agreement on gas shipments from Russia to China via Far East

MOSCOW. June 7 (Interfax) - The Federation Council at a meeting on Wednesday ratified an agreement between the governments of Russia and China on cooperation in the field of natural gas shipments from Russia to China via the Far East.

The agreement was signed in Moscow and Beijing on January 31, 2023. The document defines the main conditions for natural gas shipments from Russia to China by means of a route in the Far East, including the transboundary section of the gas pipeline across the Ussuri River near the cities of Dalnerechensk, Russia and Hulin in China.

In addition, the document specifies certain customs privileges, specifically, a provision on the application of a simplified border crossing procedure for personnel, vehicles and technical equipment, construction and consumable materials, components and spare parts necessary for design and survey work related to the construction and operation of the underwater crossing.

The agreement contains a confidentiality clause related to information on the implementation of the agreement.

The document also defines the procedure for the distribution of ownership of the cross-border section of the gas pipeline, including the underwater section of the crossing. The point of delimitation of the underwater sections will be determined on the date of completion of construction on the transboundary section of the gas pipeline and will remain unchanged for the entire duration of the agreement, the explanatory materials say.

The implementation of the agreement will be coordinated by the Russian Energy Ministry and China's State Energy Administration. On the Russian side, the organization responsible for implementation is Gazprom , while in China, responsibility resides with the China National Oil and Gas Corporation and the China National Pipeline Corporation.