International Oil and Gas Exhibition to Take Place in Ufa in May

An international exhibition entitled 'Gas. Oil - 2003' and the 5th Congress of the Russian Oil and Gas Industry will take place in Ufa from May 20 to 23. The dates were agreed on Saturday, January 18 at the first meeting of the organising committee's working group.

Sergei Yefremov, the Bashkirian Minister for Industry, Foreign Relations and Trade, said that preparations for the congress and exhibition were well under way. The make-up of the organising and programme committees has been determined, and the republic's cabinet of ministers has issued a decree on setting up a board of directors for the congress.

According to Yefremov, interest among businessmen from the oil and gas industry in the exhibition remains as high as ever. He said that 'hundreds of Russian and foreign companies connected with the industry' have expressed their intention to take part in the events. Almost all of the exhibition space - over 3,000 square metres - has been rented by participants.

Taking into account the fact that four election campaigns will take place in Bashkiria this year, Yefremov stressed that the organising committee must raise the events up to a new level of quality. 'The full potential of the republic's energy industry needs to be displayed,' said the minister.