Geneva hosted today the 15th session of the UNECE Gas Centre Executive Board.

Participating in the session was a Gazprom delegation led by Sergey Balashov, Deputy Head of the Company’s International Business Department.

During the session the Gas Centre’s operating results over the past year were summed up and the Program of Work for the upcoming period was discussed.

The proposal by Croatian state gas company Plinacro was accepted to hold in Croatia the next High-Level Conference (June 7–9, 2010) dedicated to the gas industry development in Southeast Europe. In addition, the Executive Board adopted the decision to hold in Geneva (March) the Gas Centre’s forum on the long-term contracts system operation in the gas sector.

The session participants highlighted the importance of continuing the activities of the Task Force on the Implementation of the EU Gas Directives and the Task Force on the Supply, Infrastructure and Markets.

In his speech Sergey Balashov considered it crucial for the Gas Centre to remain focused on the economic aspects when addressing particular issues of the gas policy (pricing issues, contractual relations specifics, gas supply and transit terms and conditions), pointed out the necessity to invite new members into the Gas Centre and supported proposals on the Centre operations improvement.

Background:

The UNECE Gas Centre was launched in January 1994 by the UNECE Working Party on Gas as part of the ECE Program “Promotion and Development of a Market-Based Gas Industry in Economies in Transition”. Gazprom is a co-founder of the Centre comprising more than 20 leading European energy companies including GDF SUEZ, Eni, OMV Gas, Gasunie, National Grid, Botas, Sonatrach and others.