9-th Annual meeting of the Executive Council of the UN Economic Commission (UN EC) Gas Center was held on 19 January in Geneva, the UN EC Headquarters. The representatives of major gas companies members of the Executive Council, Gazprom, Ruhrgas, Wintershall, Gaz de France, Statoil, Shell, ENI inclusive, attended the meeting. Mr. Jacques Deyirmenjian, Gaz de France’s Vice-President, headed the meeting.

The Executive Council adopted a work program and a budget of the Gas Center for 2004.

Annual Conference of the Gas Center focusing on the European gas companies’ dialogue with national regulators is conceived to be held in Bratislava in 4-5 May 2004.

Task Force on reliability and security of gas supply presided by Mr. Sergey Balashov, First Deputy Head of the Foreign Relations Department, Gazprom, was mentioned at the meeting as efficient working for the last year. Analytical report on the theme made public in September 2003 was submitted to governmental agencies, oil and gas companies, the EU authorities, and went to other international addresses and public relations. The report dwells on a gas supply to Europe gas companies’ security strategy in the liberalized energy sector and under the EU common energy market environment.

New Task Force on the market developments and corporate structure to be recommended for the country members of the Gas Center is to be established. In addition, the Executive Council adopted a resolution authorizing Task Forces on the EU Gas Directive and Gas Tariffs & Gas Transmission to continue research.

In the interests of continuity and stability of operations, a resolution on prolongation of the Executive Council member’s term from two to three years, the Chairmanship inclusive was issued.

From 20 to 22 January, the 14-th annual session of the EU EC Gas Working Group was held in Geneva with participation of the Gazprom’s official delegation.

Long-Term Natural Gas Supply Security under the Liberalized Market Conditions Round Table accompanied the session. Mr. S. Balashov, in his report, detailed the Russia’s energy supply strategy viewing the European energy needs, focused on the long-term gas contracts imminence for the gas infrastructure project development, featured the Russian domestic gas market developments and made public the corporate investment plans for 2004.

In the course of the session, gas industries of the country members of the UN EC were overviewed, with prospects analyzed. Mr. R. Ter-Sarkisov, VNIIGAZ Director General, reported on the Russia’s gas industry prospects. The Gas Working Group acknowledged the EU EC Gas Center activities proving the results presented by special expert groups, including the recommendations on the Blue Corridor project envisaging construction of cross-boarder highways for gas-fired vehicles.

Reference:

The EU EC Gas Working Group in January 1994 in fulfillment of a Program on Gas Industry in Transition Economies Back-up and Development established the EU EC Gas Center. The Gas Center is an unparalleled multilateral organization under the auspices of the United Nations aimed at strengthening cooperative ties of gas companies in Europe and North Africa. Mr. Jacques Deyirmenjian, Gaz de France’s Vice-President, is the President of the Executive Council of the EU EC Gas Center.

Gazprom is among the co-sponsors of the Center. There are 22 gas company major European gas players members of the Gas Center. In their number are such known gas producers, transporters and consumers like Gazprom, Ruhrgas, Wintershall, Gaz de France, Statoil, Shell, ENI, Botas, Sonatrach etc. MR. S. Tsygankov, Head of the Foreign Relations Department, presents Gazprom in the Executive Council Board.

For the in-depth information on the Gas Center address to the w-site: https://www.gascentre.unece.org/

DIVISION OF RELATIONS WITH MASS MEDIA