OREANDA-NEWS. April 6, 2009. The Gazprom Headquarters hosted a meeting of Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Company’s Management Committee with heads of the largest European companies purchasing Russian gas. Taking part in the meeting were Bernhard Reutersberg, Chairman of the E.ON Ruhrgas AG Management Board, Paolo Scaroni, Chief Executive Officer of ENI concern and Jean-Marie Dauger, Executive Vice President of GDF SUEZ.

The parties discussed the most urgent issues of interaction between Gazprom and European purchasers of Russian gas. The focus of the meeting fell on the Russia – Ukraine relations in the gas sector and the role of the European Union in this process as a major consumer of Russian gas transited via Ukraine.

Alexey Miller gave his comments on the EU – Ukraine declaration signed in Brussels on the modernization of Ukraine’s gas transportation system:

“The declaration signing behind Russia’s back was a political mistake and it would be impossible to implement it without the gas supplier. This document only added fuel to the flame of the gas conflict that we had recently managed to settle. The declaration contradicts both the cooperation principles established by the January gas agreements between Russia and Ukraine and the cooperation principles between the EU and Russia in the energy sector”.

The European partners expressed their concern over the scecurity of gas supplies to Europe and their willingness to resolve this situation amicably with the involvement of all market players (the supplier, the transiter and the consumer).

Alexey Miller informed the European partners on the status of the agreements reached this January between Gazprom and Naftogaz.

“At present, Ukraine’s key problem is payment for current supplies of Russian gas. This issue will be even more acute during the forthcoming period of gas injection into Ukraine’s UGS capacities. In this context, a priority task is to search for adequate financial sources in order to pay for consumed gas,” said Alexey Miller.

When discussing Ukraine’s GTS modernization, representatives of the European companies expressed their intent to participate in this process. As the first step in this direction it was proposed to set up a working group for analyzing the situation with Russian gas transit via Ukraine to Europe. The decision was taken to hold a similar meeting 4-6 weeks later.