GAZPROM STRENGTHENS COOPERATION WITH INTERNATIONAL GAS UNION

MOSCOW, May 27 (RIA Novosti) - In Moscow on Thursday Alexei Miller, chairman of the board of the Russian gas concern Gazprom, and Gasunie Co. president George Ferberg, head of the International Gas Union, have discussed their cooperation and the outlook for the future, says the Gazprom press release, which has come to hand at RIA Novosti.

The sides also discussed the IGU performance and programme, as well as prospects for holding an international gas congress in Moscow in 2012.

The two studied processes under way on the European gas market. Energy dialogue between Russia and the European Union was looked into.

Miller and Ferberg focused on Gasunie's participation in the building of the North European gas pipeline and agreed on prompt signing a new cooperation protocol minding the emergence of new directions of joint work.

The Gasunie Co. was established in 1963 as a supplier and transporter of natural gas. In 1999 Gazprom and Gasunie concluded a contract for the supply of Russian gas to The Netherlands. It intended the total volume of supply of 80 billion cubic metres of gas during 20 years. In 2003 The Netherlands received 2.3 billion cubic meters of gas; the target for 2004 is about four billion cubic metres.