Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak announced on Friday that Russia and Syria are cooperating in extraction of oil and gas and development of energy infrastructure.

In a statement to TASS news agency on the sidelines of Russia-ASEAN summit that is held in Sochi to the south of Russia, Novak said that Russia received a request from the Syrian side to participate in oil and gas extraction and re-building and developing energy infrastructure.

He added that Russia will cooperate with Syria through Zarubej Neft, Lukoil and Gazprom Neft companies.

On February, Syria’s Ambassador in Moscow Riad Haddad discussed with Chief Executive Officer of Russian energy company Gazprom Alexey Miller the prospects of cooperation between the two countries in the field of oil and gas industry and exchanged views on the prospects of bilateral cooperation after the stabilization of the situation in Syria.