Russian President Vladimir Putin told international investors gathered in Saint Petersburg that the country has no intention of ending Gazprom's exclusive control over gas transportation, particularly to European markets. He cited the current state of Russia's legal framework as the reason no change is imminent.
European nations heavily reliant on Russian gas have spent months urging Moscow to open its pipeline network to outside parties. A Russian newspaper reported on 7 June that legislators had drafted legislation to formally codify Gazprom's export monopoly, a move seen as a direct rejection of European pressure.
The International Energy Agency cautioned the previous week that Europe's dependence on imported gas is set to grow, a trend that, combined with technical difficulties, would push prices higher.
Russia signed the Energy Charter in the early 1990s but never ratified it. Moscow remains opposed to a transit protocol attached to the charter that would require non-discriminatory pipeline access for foreign companies, including major Central Asian producers such as Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in June 2006, in its own words.