 "Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to Chinese President Xi Jinping during the 2022 Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. File Photo- AP")
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have instructed national companies to agree on terms of delivery for the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline “as soon as possible”, Interfax reported, quoting Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak.
“Work will continue on agreeing the terms and parameters. Instructions have been given to do this as soon as possible,” Interfax quoted Novak as saying.
Putin and Xi held talks on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Astana.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their second meeting in less than two months on Wednesday, further solidifying their frequent communication. The two leaders met in Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
This is their fifth in-person meeting since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and their second meeting since Putin’s re-election in March. In their previous meeting in May, Xi and Putin pledged to strengthen their “comprehensive strategic partnership”, including enhancing defense and military cooperation.
Notably, China has been expanding its influence in Central Asia, a region traditionally within Russia’s sphere of influence. China surpassed Russia as Kazakhstan’s largest trading partner last year, with bilateral trade reaching a significant $41 billion.