ST. PETERSBURG, November 7. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Premier of China’s State Council Li Keqiang will discuss a wide range of issues of the Russian-Chinese cooperation in St. Petersburg on Monday - from trade and energy supplies to military and technical cooperation. A number of documents are expected to be signed, Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of the Government Staff, Sergei Prikhodko, told reporters.
According to Prikhodko, the key topics during the talks will be trade, economic and investment ties, oil and gas industry, electric power industry, nuclear power industry, transport, information technology, inter-regional and cross-border cooperation, integration in Eurasia, humanitarian ties, military and technical cooperation and the implementation of the agreements reached earlier by the two countries’ leaders.
"This is a serious and important event, especially in the current environment," Prikhodko said. "We seek to diversify our cooperation with China in all areas moving beyond supplies of raw materials and related supplies." The Russian Cabinet believes it is necessary to create additional incentives for mutual investment, developing major infrastructure projects and increasing the share of high-tech areas in cooperation between Russia and China.
Specific deals
A number of documents are due to be signed after the talks between Dmitry Medvedev and Li Keqiang, among them a protocol on setting up an intergovernmental commission for cooperation in developing Russia’s Far East and Baikal region and Northeast China. "The potential of our cooperation with our Chinese partners is far from exhausted, and these contacts may help us seriously."
The two premiers are also expected to adopt a Joint Statement on strategic cooperation in nuclear energy. Prikhodko said last week that the document was in the final stage of approval. He noted that preparations of the joint statement had nothing to do with the situation with nuclear cooperation between Russia and the US, including the suspension of the agreement on surplus weapon-grade plutonium disposal.
"Our nuclear cooperation with China began long before all these sanctions collisions. This (forthcoming statement) is just summing up the results opening up new opportunities for cooperation (between Moscow and Beijing) and brings some aspects up to date. So, it is in no way related to Americans’ or Europeans’ actions," he said.
Corporate documents
A number of Russian companies, including Gazprom, Rosneft and Russian Railways are to sign agreements with their Chinese partners. In particular, it is planned to sign an agreement between Rosneft and Beijing Enterprises in the gas sector. Besides, an agreement is due to be signed between Gasprom and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) on standardization and conformity assessment cooperation.
According to a source in the Russian Cabinet, natural gas supplies and the construction of the Power of Siberia pipeline as well as the implementation of the project on the construction of the Yamal LNG natural gas liquefaction plant will top the agenda during the discussion of energy-related issues.