Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet on August 31 in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. They are expected to discuss the 'Power of Siberia 2' gas pipeline project.
According to Yonhap News on August 29, the Singapore-based Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao reported that Yuri Ushakov, a foreign policy advisor to the Kremlin, stated the two leaders would meet during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek.
The SCO summit is a multilateral forum led by China and Russia, involving four Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, along with additional members including India, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus. The number of member states has reached ten. This year's summit will take place from August 31 to September 1.
Ushakov emphasized the significance of the upcoming meeting, saying, "It is a very important discussion for us. We will address urgent issues to further develop bilateral cooperation, as well as the most pressing international matters."
In this context, Russian news agency Interfax reported that Ushakov mentioned the possibility of finalizing agreements related to the 'Power of Siberia 2' project during the bilateral talks. The 'Power of Siberia 2' pipeline aims to transport natural gas from Russia's Yamal Peninsula through Mongolia to China, with an expected capacity to export 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually upon completion.
However, the Chinese government has not yet provided specific comments on the matter. Previously, during Putin's visit to China in May, both leaders held a summit but failed to narrow differences on key issues, including supply pricing. The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated on August 28 that Xi plans to engage in in-depth discussions with leaders attending the SCO summit on deepening cooperation across various fields and addressing major international and regional issues.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.