Russian President Dmitry Medvedev intends to invite the leaders of the Caspian countries to build relationships in the gas sector on the basis of an intergovernmental medium- and long-term agreement. The head of state said he intends to discuss these issues with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan at an informal summit at the end of the week.
"If you support this idea, then I will discuss it with my counterparts during a meeting this week and ask them to think over developing such cooperation for the medium and long term within legal framework, developed by, for example, the government, so that cooperation will be full and long-term," Medvedev said during a working meeting with Alexei Miller, ITAR-TASS reported.
"Regarding establishing our relationships, a clear legal regulation is required not only at the level of relations between companies and economic relations, but also at the level of state regulation," said Medvedev.
Miller informed him that Gazprom has had a positive experience working with Caspian region companies. "But basically, this cooperation has been built on the basis of commercial contracts," he said.
"In the medium and long term, Gazprom's cooperation with Caspian companies must be based on a comprehensive approach to the understanding that it is not just a contract for the purchase of gas, but also the production, transportation and gas processing," he said. "Therefore, I find it totally appropriate that co-operation be built on the basis of an intergovernmental agreement for the medium and long term," added the head of Gazprom.