President Vladimir Putin told senior U.S. officials on 21 September that U.S.-Russian cooperation in the energy sector is important to bilateral economic and political interests

President Vladimir Putin told senior U.S. officials on 21 September that U.S.-Russian cooperation in the energy sector is important to bilateral economic and political interests as well as global stability and security. Putin was welcoming U.S. Commerce Secretary Don Evans and U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, who together with Russia's Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref and Energy Minister Igor Yusufov co-chair the Russia-U.S. Energy Forum. The U.S.-Russia Commercial Energy Summit was expected to open a session in St. Petersburg on 22 September. Putin said Russian exports currently account for 4 percent of U.S. energy imports, up from 1.36 percent in 2002, but added that the figure is small in light of those countries' huge potential. Putin urged an increase in Russian energy supplies to the United States, and said the topic will be discussed at his Camp David summit with U.S. President George W. Bush on 26-27 September. Putin also said Russian and U.S. experts are discussing diversification of bilateral cooperation in the sector to include coal, gas, and nuclear power. Secretary Evans predicted major U.S. investments into Russia's energy sector in the near future, particularly in developing oil and gas reserves off Sakhalin and exporting Russian liquefied gas to the United States.