Russia has high expectations from President Vladimir Putin's visit to China this week, and the two countries will use it to develop their privileged partnership, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
Putin will visit China tomorrow and on Wednesday - less than a week after US President Donald Trump was there for talks with President Xi Jinping.
"We have very serious expectations from this visit," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The so-called borderless partnership between China and Russia has intensified after the West imposed sanctions to punish Russia for the war in Ukraine, Reuters points out.
"We and Our Chinese Friends Call It a Particularly Privileged and Strategic partnership“, Peskov said.
The Russian delegation will include relevant deputy prime ministers, ministers and company heads, he said.
Peskov was asked whether plans for the proposed "Power of Siberia 2" gas pipeline, which could one day deliver an additional 50 billion cubic meters per year from Russia's Arctic gas fields through Mongolia to China, would be discussed.
"All issues that are on the economic agenda of our bilateral relations will naturally be considered," he replied.
Peskov also noted that Russia is in constant contact with the Cuban leadership to determine what can be done to alleviate the impact of the US oil blockade on the Caribbean island.
The US blockade has choked supplies and led to strict rationing, with petrol and diesel prices at gas stations almost doubling last week.
Havana has not received oil supplies since the Russian tanker "Anatoly Kolodkin" delivered about 700,000 barrels in late March - enough for about two weeks for the island nation of 10 million people.