Great Bitain considers Russian energy resources strategic alternative to Middle Eastern ones

Great Britain believes Russian oil and gas to be a strategically important alternative to over-dependence from the Middle Eastern energy resources," London-based newspaper The Financial Times reported on Friday referring to a high ranking official in the British government. The newspaper quotes him as saying that Russia proposes various and stable deliveries.

The newspaper points out that Russia-Great Britain economic relations have recently become much stronger. As an example The Financial Times cites two big deals concluded in 2003 - an agreement between the British Petroleum Company and the Russian Tumen Oil Company to set up a joint venture and investment of the British-Dutch Royal Dutch/Shell Concern in the Sakhalin-2 project to develop fields on the island in Russia's Far East. According to the newspaper, it makes Great Britain Russia's biggest foreign investor.

The newspaper highlights the fact that during President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to London scheduled to take place next week the city will host a Russian-British energy summit. It will enable the two countries' politicians and experts to consider "certain perspectives of real energy cooperation," the influential British newspaper believes.