SINGAPORE's growing expertise in green technologies has made it a choice partner for Russia, who is looking to develop its own sustainable energy sector, said Russian representatives on Friday.

The country is looking at adopting technologies and solutions from Singapore in the modernization of its own economy, said director and chief executive Sergey Obrezanov of the Russian Business Federation (RBI).

He was speaking to a 70-strong audience at an energy conference jointly organised with the Singapore Business Federation (SBF).

The two organisations had signed a Memorandum of Understanding in January to encourage trade, economic, technology and investment flows between both countries.

Some specific promising areas of collaboration include solar energy and waste management, said RBI's deputy chief executive Viacheslav Kichatov.

For example, Russian nanotechnology project funding body, Rusnano, will be investing up to US$1 billion into industries related to solar.

'With Singapore's push into solar energy, there will be opportunities to collaborate in R&D and to use Singapore-developed applications,' he added.

SBF chief executive officer Teng Theng Dar also noted at the conference that many Russian firms in the energy industry possess advanced technologies, and local firms would benefit to tap into these firms to gain exposure to bigger markets.

Russia was Singapore's 30th-largest trading partner in 2008 with a total trade value of S$3.8 billion - a spike of almost 100 per cent from 2007's S$1.9 billion. Top import products from Russia include petroleum product refined, petroleum crude and aluminium.