Russia hopes to export natural gas to Japan via Siberia

Russia hopes to export natural gas to Japan using a pipeline it plans to build across Siberia, Russian Energy Minister Igor Yusufov said. Yusufov expressed the hope in his talks here with Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Takeo Hiranuma. They met on the sidelines of a meeting of Group of Eight energy ministers that started for a two-day run.
Russia will present a proposal for the project shortly, Yusufov said. A Japanese official accompanying Hiranuma told that it is still unknown whether Russia intends to make the proposal to the Japanese government or private companies. Anyway, it will be up to private firms to decide whether to take up the proposal, the official said.

Russia is expanding its natural resource exports to its Asian neighbours, such as China and South Korea. It is currently developing a natural gas field in Irkutsk in eastern Siberia, jointly with China and South Korea, aiming to start shipments to the two countries in 2008.
Russian natural gas giant Gazprom has set up a representative office in Beijing last year, with a view to expanding its business in that country.