REUTERS
Alexey Miller, the head of the Russian natural gas monopoly Gazprom, has met with the leadership of GDF and Gasunie companies to persuade them of the need to build new gas pipelines bypassing Ukraine, Gazprom has said in a post on its Web site.
The meeting was held in the Gazprom’s headquarters on April 15, the post reads.
"The parties discussed current issues and cooperation prospects in the gas sector,” it reads.
“Special attention was paid to the supply of gas to France and other European countries. In particular, the parties talked about the "Nord Stream" pipeline. It was emphasized that the pipeline, which runs from Russia to Europe bypassing transit countries, is one of the most reliable and effective channels of Russian gas supplies to European consumers.”
The parties also "discussed the risks associated with the supply of gas through Ukraine." According to the report, the parties agreed that "to date, there exists a clear need to create additional alternative routes for gas supplies to European consumers". Prospects of cooperation in the field of liquefied natural gas (LNG) were also analyzed by the participants of the meeting.
Gasunie is a European gas infrastructure company with one of the largest in Europe high pressure gas pipeline networks, with a total throughput capacity of about 125 billion cubic meters per year. In 2008, Gasunie was registered as a shareholder of Nord Stream AG (with a 9%share in capital).
GDF SUEZ is one of the largest energy companies in Europe, established in 2008 through the merger of Gaz de France and SUEZ. GDF SUEZ operates in the electricity sector, implementing projects in the field of exploration, production, processing and sales of natural gas. Gas cooperation between Gazprom and GDF SUEZ began in 1975. In 2006, Gazprom and GDF SUEZ signed an agreement on extending until 2030 the three existing contracts for Russian gas supply to France. In addition, an agreement was reached on the supply of additional volumes of gas to GDF SUEZ via the Nord Stream pipeline.
Nord Stream is a gas pipeline with the capacity to transport 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Running under the Baltic Sea, the pipeline bypasses Ukraine, an important transit state for Europe-bound natural gas, which is frequently problematic for Russia when it tries to leave Moscow's sphere of influence and draw closer to the West.
The pipeline is owned and operated by Nord Stream AG. The shareholders of Nord Stream AG are: Gazprom - 51%, Wintershall Holding GmbH and E.ON Global Commodities - 15,5% each, along with Gasunie and GDF Suez - 9% each.