Putin to have bilateral meetings with leaders of China, Japan, South Korea, Italy and Spain

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold several bilateral meetings, including those with the leaders of China, Japan, South Korea, Italy and Spain on the sidelines of a G20 summit in St. Petersburg on September 5-6, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters. On September 5, before a session of the G20 summit Putin will meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. “It can be said to be another full-scale contact between the leaders of the two countries, at which they will discuss bilateral and naturally international problems,” Ushakov noted. After the meeting the sides will sign several documents. Ushakov added that this is particularly the agreements involving Rosneft. “As for Rosneft, I can say that several agreements are being drafted,” the presidential aide noted. In 2012, the presidents of Russia and China had two meetings. This meeting will be already the second one in 2013. Before the end of this year other contacts between the leaders of the two countries are planned. China remains one of Russia’s main trade partners. In 2012, the bilateral trade reached a record high figure of $87.5 billion (a 5.2% year-to-year growth, the figure has doubled for the last five years). The heads of two states set the task to reach a trade level of $100 billion by 2015 and $200 billion by 2020. The energy sector is a vital field of bilateral cooperation. The oil delivery project on the Skovordino-Mohe pipeline is launched; the agreement is already signed to increase the annual supplies up to 30 million tons of crude within 25 years. The Rosneft Company and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) plan to launch the construction of an oil refinery in Tianjin. The countries are conducting active negotiations for the construction project of a pipeline for the gas delivery along the eastern route and the liquefied natural gas exports from the deposits to Yamal. Meanwhile, Russia participates in the construction of 3rd and 4th power units at the Tianwan nuclear power plant. Putin will also meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Ushakov noted that the leaders of the countries are expected to discuss a broader trade, economic and investment cooperation. Accrued Japanese investment makes $10.7 billion. Meanwhile, Japanese companies participate in the creation of the liquefied natural gas capacities in Russia, the construction of petrochemical enterprises and the improvement of the gas transportation infrastructure. Rosneft jointly with Japanese partners works on the projects of shelf development in the Sea of Okhotsk and the liquefied gas delivery to Japan. Ushakov did not rule out that Putin and Abe will also discuss a treaty on friendship and cooperation. “This issue will be raised, but I do not know in which aspect it will be done,” he added. After that the Russian President will meet with Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta. High on the agenda of the meeting is trade and economic cooperation, the preparation to the 8th round of Russian-Italian top-level interstate consultations in the broad format with the participation of the ministers from the governments of the two countries that are due in the Italian city of Trieste at the end of November 2013. The leaders of the countries will also discuss the fulfillment of the agreements in the fuel and energy sector, particularly the construction of a new gas pipeline from Russia to Southern Europe through the Black Sea (South Stream), the cooperation between Rosneft and the Italian energy concern ENI in the joint development of the continental shelf in the Black Sea and the Barents Sea as well as the projects in the electric power industry that the Italian company ENEL is implementing. On September 6, the final day of the G20 summit, Vladimir Putin will meet with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. It is noteworthy that this will be the first meeting between the Russian President and the incumbent Spanish prime minister after the current Spanish government had been formed in December 2011 The negotiators will discuss key issues of bilateral and international agenda. Russia and Spain develop intensively cooperation in the energy sector, machine building, transport industry as well as the modernization and construction of production facilities. In particular, JSC Russian Railways, Lukoil and RusHydro implement major projects. On the same day Putin will meet with his South Korean counterpart Park Geun-hye. The heads of states are expected to consider several issues, including a visit of the Russian leader in South Korea in November 2013. The presidents will synchronize their positions over the situation on the Korean Peninsula and will discuss bilateral cooperation in international organizations. South Korea is ranked third (after China and Japan) in Russia’s foreign trade with Asian countries. In 2012 the bilateral trade reached about 25 billion dollars, the trade went up three percent in January-June 2013.