Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Russia and Kazakhstan divide gas field
Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told Putin on Monday that Russia and Kazakhstan would divide the Imashevskoye gas condensate field equally. âThe territory will be divided in equal parts, as well as the gas field itself,â Lavrov said, adding this was the last controversial issue of border delimitation.
The two leaders are also expected to sign an accord on environmental protection against pollution from use of Russiaâs Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. During his official visit to Moscow, the Kazakh leader is due to tour the Khrunichev state space center.
During Putinâs recent visit to Kazakhstan, the two presidents discussed implementing Russian-Kazakh oil projects. Nazarbayev told Putin at the time the Kazakh ministry for energy and mineral resources was considering three large oil projects and preparing to sign a deal with Russiaâs LUKoil, ploughing an estimated $2 billion into the Kazakh energy sector.
Commenting on the planned upgrade of the Caspian Pipeline consortium from 28 million tons to 67 million tons a year, the Kazakh leader called it âvery serious work that has somewhat slowed down.â Both Russia and Kazakhstan would benefit from the project coming on stream, Nazarbayev told Russiaâs head of state.
Negotiations were under way to process Kazakhstanâs Karachaganak gas at Russiaâs Orenburg processing plant, he said, having rated this âa very advantageous project for both sides.â
Putin is on record praising a high level of Russian-Kazakh ties over past years. âWe are happy with progress in our relations,â the Russian president told his opposite number, as Nazarbayev called contact with Moscow Kazakhstanâs key foreign affairs priority.
After the close of a âYear of Russiaâ in Kazakhstan, trade turnover between the two countries had risen 47 percent to $7 billion, the Kazakh leader revealed. Russian goods represent a quarter of Kazakhstanâs foreign trade.
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