Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, published his article, A Forward-Looking Partnership, in Rossiyskaya Gazeta and Renmin Ribao, Foreign Ministry’s web page reported.
As Lavrov noted, “The People’s Republic of China is Russia’s biggest trade and economic partner. Last year, bilateral trade hit a record high of $108 bln. Energy cooperation has reached a strategic level, including in terms of building cross-border oil and gas pipelines, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, LNG production, as well as coal and energy exports from Russia. Deliveries of Russian natural gas via pipelines to the PRC are set to begin on December 1. This will be yet another ambitious bilateral undertaking, adding to the Skovorodino-Mohe oil pipeline, which has been operating successfully for the past nine years.”
He also pointed out that “Major projects serve as an impetus for stepping up mutual investment that has great potential. Cooperation in high-technology sectors, including civil aviation and space, deserve special attention. In 2020 and 2021, Russia-China cross-years of cooperation in science, technology, and innovation will be held. Broad opportunities are emerging for promoting trade in agricultural products. Russia and China are set to expand and deepen economic ties.”
According to the Minister, “Today, the steady advancement of various integration processes has become a sign of the times. In this regard, the Eurasian Economic Union provides a telling example, since it has come a long way within a short period of time, from removing customs barriers to building a common market for goods, services, capital and labor. The expansion of EAEU’s international contacts and the fact that more and more countries are seeking to sign free-trade agreements with it testify to the success of this integration project.”