Dusseldorf(Germany) hosted today a meeting of the Coordinating Committee between Gazprom and E.ON Ruhrgas on sci-tech cooperation, personnel training and career development. The meeting was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of sci-tech cooperation between the companies.

The meeting was moderated by Vlada Rusakova, Member of the Management Committee, Head of the Prospective Development Department of Gazprom, Elena Kasyan, Head of the Personnel Management Department of Gazprom. E.ON Ruhrgas was represented by Klaus Schaefer, Chairman of the Board of Management and Achim Saul, Member of the Board of Management.

Addressing the participants, Vlada Rusakova highlighted that assurance of the global energy security and preservation of the human environment were the top priorities in the world of today. These challenges could be met only through joint efforts, by expanding the cooperation and making the most of engineering, technological and organizational innovations. The scientific and engineering knowledge obtained from cooperation between Gazprom and E.ON Ruhrgas as well as established creative contacts formed the basis that underlies the partnership of the companies and serves as a means of their sustainability today and in the future.

“Cooperation of the companies in the sci-tech and personnel development area may be a compelling example of how much two companies may achieve when they strive for a constructive dialogue based on equal and mutually beneficial partnership,” noted Elena Kasyan in her speech.

The Coordinating Committee engaged heads of Gazprom's subsidiaries – Gazprom Promgaz, NIIgazeconomika, Gazprom Transgaz Yekaterinburg and Gazprom Transgaz Nizhny Novgorod.

The meeting addressed the current results of sci-tech cooperation programs, personnel training and career development as well as held a presentation of a booklet prepared by both companies and issued on the occasion of the memorable date.

The meeting gave consideration to the following issues of the cooperation: innovative potential of gas technologies, exploration and production; European gas market modeling; natural gas quality standards in Europe; liquefied and compressed gas use as a motor fuel in the European market as well as the cooperation outlook in environmental, resource and energy conservation technologies.

Based on the meeting results, the parties expressed contentment with the results achieved during the period of sci-tech cooperation and pointed out a high potential of further joint efforts. The companies' experts were given the relevant tasks to formulate the 2013–2014 cooperation program.

Background

E.ON is Europe's largest investor-owned electric power and gas company. Since February 2003 E.ON Ruhrgas (before July 1, 2004 Ruhrgas) has been a subsidiary of E.ON and is responsible for the group's gas business in Europe, including natural gas production, marketing, transportation and storage.

In the early 1970s Ruhrgas became one of the first large buyers of Russian gas in Western Europe.

Currently, the cooperation between Gazprom and E.ON Ruhrgas is not limited to gas trading. The companies jointly participate in the Yuzhno-Russkoye oil and gas field development as well as the Nord Stream gas pipeline construction.

Moreover, Gazprom and E.ON Ruhrgas deepen their cooperation pursuant to the Sci-Tech Cooperation Program for 2012–2014.