OREANDA-NEWS. December 06, 2010. A working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of Gazprom's Management Committee, and Paul van Gelder, CEO of N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie, was held today in Berlin within the XXIII session of the Presidium of the European Business Congress (EBC).

The parties discussed prospects of enhancing the two companies' interaction under the Memorandum of understanding on strategiccooperation.In particular, special priority has been given to implementing joint gas transmission projects and the potential for the effective use of Gasunie's gas transmission grid to optimize Russian gas delivery to European consumers.

Alexey Miller and Paul van Gelder have highly appraised the Nord Stream gas pipeline construction progress. The participants of the meeting expressed their shared vision that implementing new infrastructure projects will contribute to diversifying the Russian gas supply routes to Europe and is strategically important to ensure energy security of the entire European continent.

“Gazprom and Gasunie have for a long time been involved in a constructive dialogue along many vectors of bilateral cooperation and are ready to use their mutually gained potential in order to successfully develop it in the future”, – said Alexey Miller.

“Gazprom is one of the key partners of Gasunie in a number of infrastructure projects important for ensuring the energy security of Europe. We are looking forward to continue our successful multifaceted interaction aimed at safe, reliable and efficient gas supply to European customers”, – noted Paul van Gelder.
Background

Gasunie is a Europeangas infrastructure company. Gasunie's network ranks among the largest high pressure gas pipeline grids in Europe, consisting of over 15,000 kilometers of pipeline in the Netherlands and northern Germany, dozens of installations and approximately 1,300 gas receiving stations. The annual gas throughput totals approximately 125 billion cubic meters. Gasunie offers transport services via its subsidiaries Gas Transport Services B.V. (GTS) in the Netherlands and Gasunie Deutschland in Germany. The company also offers other services in the gas infrastructure field, including gas storage and LNG.

On 6 November, 2007 Gazprom and N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie signed the Umbrella Agreement on the two companies' mutual participation in the Nord Stream and BBL projects. On 10 June, 2008 N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie entered the Nord Steam AG shareholders' register as a new shareholder. N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie has a 9 percent stake in the equity capital of Nord Steam AG.

On 7 December, 2007 Gazprom and N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie signed the Agreement on scientific and technical cooperation.

On 18 June, 2010 Gazprom and N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie signed the Memorandum of understanding on strategic cooperation, which provides for the two companies' extended interaction in the field of gas transportation infrastructure, underground gas storage, Nord Stream gas pipeline construction, scientific and technical cooperation, LNG, environmental protection, energy efficiency, information and cultural exchange, personnel management etc.