OREANDA-NEWS. April 13, 2007 The Russian gas group, Gazprom, is making a determined effort to increase its influence in Britain by targeting landmark buildings as customers. It has started supplying power to York Minster, Headingley cricket ground and the City Point tower in London. Other targets include the National Health Service as it seeks to increase market share in Britain from 2% now to 10% by 2010.

The energy company, whose chairman is Dimitry Medvedev, the first deputy prime minister of Russia and a presidential hopeful, has also stepped up its lobbying efforts in the UK with the appointment of a high-profile public relations executive who successfully sold the concept of new nuclear plants to New Labour.