31-08-04
Vladimir Putin has given German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac a sidelight on Russia's plans for the development of the national pipeline system.
The French and German leaders said that "the Russian government is paving
ground for boosting the export of energy resources by encouraging the
development of pipeline transport," presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko told
after the trilateral summit talks in Sochi.
Chirac and Schroeder have been provided with information on the construction of the Baltic pipeline system, development of the Northern gas pipeline, Prikhodko said.
"It was important for the German and French leaders not just to hear
assurances from the Russian leadership but also to learn of its concrete steps
towards stepping up the production and export of energy resources,"
Prikhodko noted.
He explained that the energy theme emerged at the troika meeting in discussing the Middle East and Iraq situation, which affects the sustained and continuous shipments of oil to the world market.
"In this connection, the Russian president reminded his colleagues that
Russia has never violated its obligations in the supply of gas and holds the
same position in oil supplies," the presidential aide said.
As regards international problems in discussion in Sochi, Prikhodko said that, except Iraq and the Middle East, the three leaders spoke of the Nagorny Karabakh settlement, the situation in Georgia and Transdniestria. The issue of the Russian-speaking population in Latvia and Estonia was also raised at the talks, Prikhodko said.
"It was not the Russian side but our guests" that brought up the
subject of observance of European standards regarding the ethnic minorities in
the Baltic countries.
Source: Russian Information Agency Novosti