Exec: Government supports no Gazprom split, export liberalization

MOSCOW, Feb 12 (PRIME) -- A split of Russian gas giant Gazprom and export liberalization find no support in the government, Kirill Polous, head of the company’s department for long-term development programs, said late on Tuesday at the company’s investor day.

“The system of regulation of the gas industry secures implementation of the main task of ensuring energy security on the internal market. Sometimes speculative messages emerge in the media about the possibility of a radical reform of the Russian gas industry, like changes in the structure of Gazprom and liberalization of pipeline gas. However, these ideas have neither legal basis nor support from the Russian state authorities of the power,” he said.

President Vladimir Putin approved the energy security doctrine in 2019 protecting strategic interests of Gazprom, including inseparability of the unified gas distribution system and exclusion of competition among Russian energy sources at external markets, he said.

The idea to liberalize gas exports would lead to competition of Russian suppliers at foreign markets pushing the price and budget revenue down, he said.

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