Visiting Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia and China are working on new energy transportation routes. He also said discussions regarding the two countries' gas deal are nearing completion.

"We are discussing new energy transportation routes," Putin told reporters after co-chairing the 16th regular meeting between the prime ministers of China and Russia with Premier Wen Jiabao.

Putin also said that discussions on natural gas supplies for China are approaching their final stage.

"Russia began to supply oil to China through the Skovorodino-Daqing oil pipeline on January 1 this year," Putin said.

The nearly 1,000-km-long China-Russia crude oil pipeline originates in the town of Skovorodino in east Russia's Amur region, enters China via Mohe and ends at northeast China's city of Daqing. The pipeline is designed with an annual throughput of 15 million metric tons of oil.

Russian gas company Gazprom and the China National Petroleum Corporation reached an agreement last year regarding gas supplies to China, allowing the country to receive up to 70 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia each year.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin said in May that Russia and China are expected to agree on a gas price by September and Gazprom will likely supply gas to China in 2015.

Putin said Russia will strengthen nuclear energy cooperation with China after the two countries' positive experience regarding the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant.

"Russia will introduce the most advanced technology in the world and minimize any possible risks," Putin said.

The regular meetings between Chinese and Russian prime ministers, first established in 1996, have become an important platform for guiding and coordinating bilateral cooperation.

(Xinhua News Agency October 11, 2011)