Russian Minister of Energy Igor Yusufov, currently on a visit to the US, met with US Vice-President Dick Cheney on May 1. The meeting covered matters of bilateral co-operation in the energy sphere. According to the Russian government, the talks could lay a basis for economic co-operation between the two countries. In the talks, Yusufov stressed to Cheney that the problem of energy co-operation would take precedence at the upcoming Moscow summit meeting of the Russian and US presidents. Yusufov praised Cheney's personal contribution to development of the concept of the new US national energy policy and emphasised that Russia welcomed Cheney's plan to stabilise shipments of global energy resources and restrict price fluctuations.

Yusufov underlined the need for Russia to look at ways for her to become a stable supplier of energy resources to the US market on a permanent basis. Yusufov added that Russia attaches great importance to an efficient mechanism of bilateral energy contacts, such as activities by the ad hoc group on energy dialogue established in November 2001 after Spencer Abraham's, US Secretary of Energy, visit to Russia.

(NewsBase 02.v.02)