ITAR-TASS: Russian billionaire wants independent gas firms to be admited to Europe-bound exports

Russian billionaire Gennady Timchenko, who fell under the U.S. personalized sanctions in March and whose companies - including independent gas producer Novatek - were placed on U.S. blacklist in July, does not rule out that independent producers might be allowed to export pipeline gas to Europe over time.

“This [gas export] is not permitted by Russian legislation, which says that Gazprom is a monopoly supplier to Europe,” Timchenko said in an interview with Itar-Tass. “It builds its policy towards foreign partners independently. We don’t meddle with the process. Quite possibly, other Russian companies will be admitted to the European market over time but in any case it’s the state that must decide.”

He said that Gazprom was so important for the state that each step that might be linked with this company should be thought carefully over and weighed out. “One awkward step may bring about a lot of harm,” he said.
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