Putin Video participated in the opening ceremony of the largest Kovikta natural gas field in Eastern Siberia.

(AFP)

(CNA) Russian President Vladimir Putin today announced the opening of the Kovykta gas field in Eastern Siberia, which could allow Russia to boost exports to China amid tensions between Moscow and the West .

Vladimir Putin, who participated in the televised ceremony via video link, said: "We will activate the unique and largest Kovikta gas field in Eastern Siberia, with recoverable natural gas reserves of 1.8 trillion cubic meters," Agence France-Presse reported. meter."

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He also said that the opening of this gas field will greatly promote the socio-economic development of Russia's eastern region.

"The Kovikta gas field is operational," Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller said after Putin agreed to open it.

Since the Moscow government began to attack Ukraine, relations between Russia and European countries have become more tense, and Russia's natural gas exports to Europe have decreased.

Russia has gas fields in Western Siberia and the Arctic that supply Europe with gas. There are no pipelines to transport gas from these fields to China, but Russia began working on developing new fields and building the "Power of Siberia" about a decade ago. ) pipelines to deliver natural gas to this rapidly expanding market.

The first "Power of Siberia" pipeline became operational at the end of 2019 and started transporting natural gas from Eastern Siberia to China.

The Moscow government also plans to build the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, another sign Russia is looking to China in the face of Western sanctions.