Serbia invites Gazprom to take part in the gasification of the republic

Serbia has invited the Gazprom company, Russia's largest natural monopoly, to take part in the gasification of the republic, Serbia's Prime Minister Zoran Zizic said upon his return from Berlin. He said that he had discussed the project with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov in Germany.

Zizic believes that it would be possible to resolve the problem of the $250-mln Yugoslavian debt that Yugoslavia owes to Russia for the delivered gas.

Both Russia and Serbia are interested in working out a strategy of supplying energy resources for the next 10-15 years under which Serbia could be not only a purchaser but also part of the network that could be created with the participation of the Russian Gazprom and the German Ruhrgas, Zizic said. He assumed that a gas pipeline network in Serbia could be in common ownership or be part of the consortium that is being created now. The key issue is to find a long-term solution to the problem of gas deliveries to the republic, he stressed.

The premier pointed to the link between the projected scheme of the gasification and the privatisation of companies that use natural gas.

He said that Serbian and Russian experts would meet in January in Belgrade to discuss the project in detail.

The Serbian premier hoped that Russia's State Duma would soon ratify the Russian-Yugoslavian agreement that envisages customs privileges in the trade between the two countries.

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