The construction of the Siberi-2 gas pipeline was delayed, the Chinese edition of The South China Morning Post reports. According to information provided by a former member of the Security Council of Mongolia Monhnar Baarlhavg, a project that envisaged the laying of a gas pipeline through the territory of Mongolia will not be implemented in accordance with the original schedule.
The second part of the Siberian power project was to pass through the territory of Mongolia. It was planned to build 2.5 thousand kilometers of the gas pipeline, but the Mongolia authorities did not include it in the National Development Plan by 2028.
"We come into a long pause because Moscow no longer believes that it can receive from Beijing an agreement he wants, and probably the project will be postponed to better times," said Munhnar Baarlhavg.
Problems with the construction of a gas pipeline in Russia have a long time ago. Back in 2022, Vladimir Putin proposed China to increase Russian gas purchases to 100 billion cubic meters a year, but the parties could not negotiate the price.
Beijing demanded to reduce gas prices for the second branch of Siberia to $ 60 for a thousand cubic meters, which almost corresponds to the In -Russian level, which Moscow supports budget subsidies. Currently, China buys Russian gas for $ 260 for a thousand cubic meters.
Differences on this issue were the reason that Gazprom's chairman Alexei Miller did not accompany Putin during his visit to China in May. The theme "Siberia-2 forces" was one of the key negotiations of the Russian leader with Xi Jinping. In addition, Putin asked China not to participate in the Ukrainian Peaceful Forum and to intensify the activities of Chinese banks in Russia.
Gas exports from Russia to Europe in 2023 decreased to a minimum level since the 1970s. After the explosion on the "north streams", redirect the Russian gas that went to Europe to China is a difficult task. Europe came from West Siberian deposits, while China-from the East Siberian (through the Siberian Power-1 gas pipeline). The purpose of Siberia-2 forces is to send gas to China from West Siberian deposits.
