Putin to meet Xi at SCO summit, gas pipeline talks expected

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. The meeting, scheduled for August 31 to September 1, is expected to focus on key bilateral and international issues.

A significant agenda item is anticipated to be the "Power of Siberia 2" gas pipeline project. This pipeline has the potential to transport approximately 50 billion cubic meters of gas annually, a capacity comparable to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that was designed to carry 55 billion cubic meters to Western Europe. The "Power of Siberia 2" would transport gas from Blagoveshchensk to cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

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The two leaders will discuss current issues related to bilateral cooperation and international problems.

Negotiations over the pipeline's specific route and pricing have been ongoing, as China considers its increased reliance on Russian gas supplies once the project is operational. While Russia's state-owned Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) signed a memorandum of understanding for the pipeline's construction in September, progress has been slow due to disagreements on the finer details.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stated that the leaders will discuss various aspects of bilateral cooperation and international affairs. He also noted that both Putin and Xi are expected to attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi in mid-September and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen in November, indicating a continued high level of engagement between the two nations.

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The two leaders will continue to communicate over the next few months.