OREANDA-NEWS There is an agreement in principle on the construction of the Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline, and the final coordination of economic and commercial conditions between Gazprom and the Chinese CNPC is currently underway. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak in an interview with Rossiya 24, TASS reports.

According to him, the price, terms of delivery and payment are determined. At the same time, design and survey work is underway to lay a section of a potential gas pipeline through Mongolia.

Novak did not name possible dates for signing the contract. The Russian side has repeatedly announced the almost complete completion of negotiations on the second gas pipeline, but Beijing has excluded the mention of the project from official statements.

During the visit of Chinese Leader Xi Jinping to Moscow in March this year, the topic of "Forces of Siberia-2" was not mentioned in the statements of the Chinese side. Beijing also did not comment on the idea of a gas pipeline during a visit by a Russian delegation led by President Vladimir Putin to the capital of China in October.

At the end of November, the Chinese South China Morning Post, citing a source, indicated that Beijing was seeking to increase discounts on Russian gas and demanded that Gazprom build the pipe at its own expense. The parties cannot come to a compromise, while, as experts noted, the Power of Siberia-2 has ceased to be a key project for China.