Japanese Lawmakers Push for Gas Pipeline from Russia

A group of 33 Japanese lawmakers is pushing for a natural gas pipeline from Russia, reports news agency Bloomberg.

The news agency states that 33 lawmakers are backing the 1,350km pipeline between Russia's Sakhalin Island and Japan's Ibaraki prefecture, northeast of Tokyo.

Naokazu Takemoto, the group's secretary general, plans to propose the project to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as early as next month so it's on the agenda when Russian President Vladimir Putin visits in autumn, says Bloomberg.

Rising demand for gas in Japan has renewed interest in the Russia-Japan pipeline link, which has been discussed for more than a decade, Takemoto said.

Last week, China and Russia signed the much delayed gas supply deal in Beijing. As per the newly signed deal, Russia will supply 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from 2018 via east route pipeline for a period of 30 years.