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Japan places pressure on Russia



By Upstream staff 

The Japanese Government has reportedly said that it will not contribute financially to a Russian pipeline to the Pacific if a branch to China is built first.

Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Shoichi Nakagawa is said to have expressed Japan's views during a meeting in Tokyo with Russian Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko last Thursday, reported the Japanese daily Nikkei.

Russia had given state oil pipeline monopoly Transneft its approval for the construction of an 80 million tonnes a year (1.6 million barrels per day) pipeline from Taishet in East Siberia to Perevoznaya Bay in the Pacific Primorsk region.

The first stretch will be built from Taishet to Skovorodino and the pipeline will be further extended to Nakhodka.

Even without a pipeline, Russia has pledged to increase crude exports to China via rail to 10 million tonnes this year (200,000 barrels per day) 61% more than last year.


Monday, 25 April, 2005, 03:21 GMT  | last updated: Wednesday, 27 April, 2005, 14:06 GMT

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