TOKYO, October 5 (Itar-Tass) - Russia will increase its supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Japan by several million tonnes a year beginning from approximately 2018, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich told Itar-Tass on Saturday.

“We forecast that based on the energy balance in Japan after the nuclear energy facilities were stopped, LNG supplies to Japan from various parts of the world will grow a lot,” he said. “Including those from Russia.”

Russian companies have planned construction of new facilities, the deputy prime minister said. “First of all, in the Far East - the Maritime Territory, Sakhalin, as well as in northern Russia - in Yamal.”

“Our companies already have preliminary agreements with Japanese counterparts on supplies of LNG,” Dvorkovich said. “We are speaking about several million tonnes.”