Welders join the first link in the Power of Siberia main gas pipeline in a ceremony attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, held at Namsky Highway near Us Khatyn village. (Photo : www.rt.com)
The construction on the Chinese section of the China-Russia East Route natural gas pipeline, believed to be the largest China-Russia cooperative project, has started, as announced by Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on June 29, Monday afternoon, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
According to Zhang, both the Chinese and the Russian sides are ready to work to ensure the completion of the pipeline, which is expected to be put into operation, as scheduled, in 2018.
The pipeline, which spans 3,968 kilometers from gas fields in Russia's Far East to Shanghai, is capable to transport 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia to China every year.
The report said that Zhang joined Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in a televised inauguration ceremony that was simultaneously held in Beijing, Moscow, and Heihe, the border city in northeast China.
Speaking at the ceremony, Zhang said that the East Route gas pipeline would enable both countries to diversify their energy strategy as well as ensure the energy security of the two countries.
The construction on the Russian section of the East Route pipeline, also known in Russia as the Power of Siberia pipeline, was started in September last year.
Zhang, who represented President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, flew to Yakutsk in Russia to join Russian President Vladimir Putin at the inauguration ceremony, the report said.
The vice premier urged the two sides to advance their long-term cooperation on oil, natural gas pipelines, and gas development, as well as the integration of coal mining, power generation and transmission.
Zhang added that all-round cooperation in the areas of investment, finance, manufacturing capacity, high-speed rail, agriculture and development of Far East region should also be expanded by both sides. He urged for the integration of China's Silk Road Economic Belt initiative with development of the Russia-led Eurasia Economic Union to achieve more benefits in bilateral cooperation of the two countries.
On the other hand, Medvedev said through a tele-conference system that the Russia-China East Route natural gas pipeline, one of the world's largest energy projects, symbolizes the high level of comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.
The Russian prime minister said that the gas pipeline will boost economic and social development and raise the living standards of people in the regions along its route in the two countries. He said that Russia is ready to further expand all-dimensional cooperation with China in order to promote the common development and prosperity of the two countries.
