Russia aims at creating unified energy network: Ambassador

Mangalore, Dec 2 (UNI) Ambassador of the Russian Federation to India Vyacheslav I Trubnikov today said Russia was doing its best to attract Russian oil and gas majors to India to realise the ultimate goal of creating a unified network of energy producing and consuming enterprises that would help sustain economic growth in both nations.

''It is in Russia's national interests to see India as one of the strongest players in the emerging globalised world scenario, he said.

Addressing the ceremonial receipt of the first shipment of India's equity oil from Sakhalin-1 and dedication of isomerisation and mixed xylene units of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemical Limited at the New Mangalore Port Trust, the envoy said these issues and others were going to be the focal issues of the up coming visit of the Deputy Chairman of Russian Federation Alexander Zhukov to India. Mr Zhukov will be in India, from December seven to ten for participation in the 12th session of the Russian-Indian Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural cooperation. The visit would be a major milestone to prepare for the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin on January 26 next year, he added.

Mr Trubnikov said Russia would welcome all kinds of Indian participation in exploration and development of the country's enormous natural resources. ''We are ready to do whatever may be required from us to help ensure India's energy security.'' He urged potential Indian investors to view Russia as a natural partner in the process of setting up joint ventures in the energy sector.

He said that over the five decades, Russia was able to complete a number of joint projects in oil and gas exploration, power generation and distribution. India was experiencing fuel deficiency that resulted in annual imports of approximately 70 per cent of oil to meet its own requirement.

Mr Trubnikov said Russia's agenda of energy security and efficiency announced during its presidency in G8 this year reflected an understanding on the nation's role in the global energy system.

Russia was prepared to increase oil and gas exports to Asia, diversify its trade by increasing the share of value-added goods and expand the geography of exports to bring about greater economic expediency, primarily in Asia. It was also creating infrastructure to connect oil and gas production centres in Siberia and the Far East to the Pacific ocean coast, he added.

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