Russia and Spain will sign a broad energy co-operation agreement, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said Monday on the first day of a visit by Russia's president. "We will tomorrow sign a broad energy co-operation agreement in the areas of prospecting, exploration, transportation and the sale of hydrocarbons," Zapatero said.
The agreement will cover electricity production from renewable sources as well as liquid fossil fuels, the improvement of energy efficiency and the use of clean technology in the transportation of energy, the prime minister added. Zapatero, who was speaking at a civil society forum in Madrid with President Dmitry Medvedev at his side, did not provide further details.
Medvedev arrived in Madrid on Sunday night with a business delegation in tow for two days of talks expected to culminate in the signing of a transit deal giving Spain the right to ship goods to Afghanistan through Russia. Unlike the transit deal, the signing of the energy co-operation agreement had not been announced before the visit.