Russian official: Russia and China will sign a gas pipeline contract

A senior Russian official revealed that Russia and China will soon sign a gas pipeline contract called "Siberia-2".
Voice of America reported on May 17 that Russia and China have reached a general agreement on the "Siberia-2" natural gas pipeline project connecting Russia and China, and will sign a contract in the near future.
According to reports, the news was revealed by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, and confirmed by Russian news agencies, Sputnik and Tas. Novak said in a statement on May 16 that Russia is ready to complete the inspection and signing of the gas pipeline construction in the near future.
It turns out that Alexander Novak is in charge of oil and gas projects in Russian President Vladimir Putin's delegation to China. Alexey Miller, CEO of the Russian Gas Industry Corporation, is not part of the Russian visiting delegation in China.
Russia and China have been negotiating the construction of a natural gas pipeline for years. The pipeline is designed to deliver 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. The pipeline's starting point is Yamal in the Siberian state of Tyumen, Russia, and will run through Mongolia to China.
Putin and Xi Jinping issued a joint statement after the talks on Wednesday, saying that the Russian-Chinese strategic partnership has entered a "new era." Stuck in a war between Russia and Ukraine for more than two years, Putin's government needs China's help to prevent a wartime economic crisis.