Leipzig(Germany) hosted today the celebrations dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the first Russian gas supplies to Germany under a long-term contract signed with Verbundnetz Gas. A brief working meeting between Alexander Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee and Philipp Rosler, Germany’s Federal Minister of Economics and Technology took place as part of the celebrations.

The meeting participants discussed the Russian-German cooperation in the power sector, particularly the Nord Stream project and the reservation of the OPAL gas pipeline capacities. It was noted that Gazprom and German companies were the long-time and reliable partners whose cooperation reinforced the European energy security.

Background

Germanyis the largest EU market for Gazprom. In 2012 Gazprom supplied 33.16 billion cubic meters of gas to Germany.

E.ON, BASF, Wintershall Holding, Verbundnetz Gas are Gazprom’s major partners in Germany.

The main areas of cooperation cover natural gas supplies, transmission and storage, implementation of large infrastructure projects, gas production in Russia and third countries, as well as sci-tech cooperation and collaboration in the power sector.

In 1973 Russian gas was first supplied to Germany under a long-term contract signed with Verbundnetz Gas.

Established in 1969, Verbundnetz Gas (VNG AG) is a gas supplier in Germany and other countries. VNG business activities involve natural gas import, supplies to consumers as well as underground gas storage.