Putin urges Qatar to coordinate gas trade with Russia
Friday, 26 March 2010
MOSCOW, Dec 25 (AFP): Prime Minister Vladimir Putin yesterday said Russia and Qatar, both major producers of natural gas, should coordinate their efforts as the two nations seek to invest in each other's projects.
"It's very important for us to coordinate joint work," Putin told visiting Qatari counterpart Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani.
Russia, holder of the world's largest gas reserves, and the tiny Gulf nation, which has the third largest reserves, are members of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum that is set to meet in the Algerian city of Oran on April 19.
Cooperation between the group's members is meant to "stabilize the situation on the global gas market" and avoid price competition between producers, the Kremlin said in a statement ahead of Sheikh Hamad's visit.
The Qatar-based forum, which was finalised at a meeting in Moscow in 2008, has been dubbed the "Gas OPEC" and has raised concerns that it could become a cartel dominating the global natural gas market.
Putin told Sheikh Hamad that investment cooperation between their two countries looked promising, saying Russia was ready to "participate in some investment projects in Qatar." He did not elaborate.
"It's very important for us to coordinate joint work," Putin told visiting Qatari counterpart Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani.
Russia, holder of the world's largest gas reserves, and the tiny Gulf nation, which has the third largest reserves, are members of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum that is set to meet in the Algerian city of Oran on April 19.
Cooperation between the group's members is meant to "stabilize the situation on the global gas market" and avoid price competition between producers, the Kremlin said in a statement ahead of Sheikh Hamad's visit.
The Qatar-based forum, which was finalised at a meeting in Moscow in 2008, has been dubbed the "Gas OPEC" and has raised concerns that it could become a cartel dominating the global natural gas market.
Putin told Sheikh Hamad that investment cooperation between their two countries looked promising, saying Russia was ready to "participate in some investment projects in Qatar." He did not elaborate.