Russia and China agree to continue drafting gas supply contract via Power of Baikal pipeline

VLADIVOSTOK, September 4. /TASS/. Russia and China have agreed to continue drafting a contract for Russian gas supplies to China via the Power of Baikal (formerly known as Power of Siberia 2) pipeline to help companies from both countries to come to terms faster about implementing the agreement, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said.

"We discussed these issues within the framework of the existing intergovernmental commission. At this point, it has been deemed feasible to continue work on drafting the contract itself so that our companies can reach concrete agreements faster," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

Earlier, Novak said the route and commercial terms for gas supplies via the pipeline are being discussed.

Power of Baikal is a project for a main gas pipeline from Russia to China through Mongolia, with capacity potentially reaching 50 bln cubic meters of gas per year. Following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China in late August - early September 2025, Moscow and Beijing signed a legally binding memorandum on the construction of Power of Siberia 2 and the Soyuz Vostok transit gas pipeline through Mongolia.

Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilyov earlier said that the project was in the final stages of preparations for the construction phase.

The Eastern Economic Forum is taking place on September 1-4 in Vladivostok on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University. The main theme of this year’s EEF is "The Far East: Development for the Benefit of People." The event is organized by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Russian government. TASS is its general information partner.