OREANDA-NEWS. December 16, 2010. Paris hosted today a working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee and Nikolas Sarkozy, President of France.

The meeting considered cooperation deepening between Russian and French companies in the gas and energy sectors.

Based on the meeting results, Alexey Miller noted that amid the globalization of energy markets Paris could play a key role in building fundamentally new relationships between Russia and Europe and giving a momentum to these relationships.
Background

France is the third largest market for Gazprom in Europe behind Germany and Italy. In 2009 Gazprom sold 10 billion cubic meters of gas in France. Russia has been supplying gas to France since 1975.

At present, three large French companies – GDF SUEZ, Total and EDF – closely cooperate with Gazprom.

With a 9 per cent stake, GDF SUEZ is among the shareholders of Nord Stream AG – operator of Nord Stream.

Total holds a 25 per cent stake in Shtokman Development AG set up for engineering, developing, constructing, financing and operating facilities within Phase 1 of the Shtokman field development.

EDF, on its part, is at the stage of becoming a shareholder of South Stream AG through a reduction of ENI's stake in the joint venture.