Russia has officially launched its section of a pipeline which will deliver east Siberian oil to China.

At Sunday's opening ceremony for the initial branch of the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean Pipeline, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin hailed the connector, as a multidimensional project that will enhance energy cooperation, between Moscow and Beijing.

The first branch, will carry Siberian oil to the Chinese town of Daqing, starting at the end of this year, with PetroChina as the importer. The second stretch, will run about 2,000 kilometers, from inland Sko-vo-rodino, to the Pacific Ocean terminal at Koz-mina.