Russian Ambassador to China Igor Rogachev said in Beijing Wednesday that Russia will keep its promises to China and other East Asian countries on energy programs.

At a press conference held at the Russian Embassy in Beijing, the ambassador said that his government was continuing to study the issue of exporting petroleum and natural gas to China.

But he said the government must consider both Russia’s interests and the energy demands of the Far East and the Siberian area.

Russia expects to announce its decision on energy cooperation with China during the ninth meeting between the two premiers in the second half of the year, said Rogachev.

Rogachev pointed out that the Yukos oil company and the Russian railway company have signed a contract on increasing oil exports to China via rail. According to the contract, Russia will transport 6.4 million tons of oil to China this year, 8.5 million tons in 2005 and 15 million tons in 2006.

This quantity is only the amount transported by rail, noted Rogachev. He stated that it means Russia has given the green light to exporting oil to China.

Ten years ago, Russia suggested building an oil pipeline linking the two countries, and in September 2001 the Chinese and Russian government signed a contract to launch research on feasibility of the pipeline linking Russia’s Angarsk and China’s Daqing.

At the end of 2002, Russia suggested changing the original pipeline, and at the same time Japan offered US$7 billion to Russia to build a northern line instead of the direct line to China.

Russia is still conducting research on the final location of the pipeline.

(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2004)