Led by Alexey Miller, the Company’s Management Committee Chairman, Gazprom’s delegation today paid a visit to France.

In the course of the visit, Alexey Miller and Jean-Francois Cirelli, President of Gaz de France, met with Jean-Pierre Raffarin, French Prime Minister. The parties expressed a common opinion that cooperation between Gazprom and Gaz de France was undergoing successful and dynamical development.

The companies’ chiefs deliberated on potential cooperation within the North-European gas pipeline construction and liquefied natural gas production projects, adopting the resolution to keep on collaborating in said directions for the purpose of enhancing gas supply safety and meeting boosting gas demand of Europe.

Reference:

Over 2003, France produced and consumed 1.61 and 42.5 bcm of natural gas, respectively.

France’s natural gas needs are largely met through imports from Norway, Algeria, Russia, the Netherlands, the Great Britain, Nigeria and Belgium.

Being one of the largest gas firms in Europe, Gaz de France specializes in natural gas exploration, production, marketing and distribution.

Since the beginning of cooperation in the gas supply sector back in 1976, Gazprom has provided Gaz de France with over 250 bcm of gas, including with 11.2 bcm, in 2003. Some 13.4 bcm of gas is slated for 2004.

On 28 June 2003, Gazprom and Gaz de France signed a Memorandum on cooperation deepening. In addition to the gas supply business, Gaz de France and Gazprom have cooperated in the power saving, transmission infrastructure reconstruction, gas loss reduction, underground gas storage facility construction and operation, liquefied natural gas production and staff qualification upgrading sectors.

In 2004, Gazprom and Gaz de France extended joint businesses to gas deliveries to the Great Britain.

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