Gazprom signs new contract for gas supply to Slovenia
On April 13, Alexander Medvedev – Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Elena Burmistrova – Director General of Gazprom Export, and Bostjan Napast – Chairman of the Management Board of Geoplin Ljubljana, took part in Ljubljana in the ceremony marking the conclusion of a medium-term contract for natural gas supply to Slovenia.
The event was attended by Karl Erjavec, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, and Doku Zavgayev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Slovenia.
The new contract provides for annual supplies of 600 million cubic meters of gas from January 1, 2018 to January 1, 2023.
“This year marks 40 years since the start of Russian gas deliveries to Slovenia in 1978. Geoplin d.o.o. Ljubljana is our long-standing partner. I am confident that the new contract for natural gas supplies will reinforce the relations between our companies and open a new page in the history of energy cooperation between the two countries,” said Alexander Medvedev.
“Today’s event is another proof of our effective long-term cooperation with Gazprom. This contract symbolizes a crucial strategic alliance. Our reliable partnership with Gazprom is a guarantee of uninterrupted gas supplies to our company and Slovenia for years to come,” Bostjan Napast added.
Russian gas supplies to Slovenia began in 1978.
Between 1978 and 2017, more than 14 billion cubic meters of gas was delivered to Slovenia, including 607.2 million cubic meters in 2017. The previous contract between Gazprom Export and Geoplin Ljubljana expired on December 31, 2017.
Geoplin Ljubljana, a major natural gas importer to Slovenia, is a partner of Gazprom Export in the Slovenian market.
In 2017, Gazprom Group supplied a total of 194.4 billion cubic meters of gas to European countries, 192.2 billion cubic meters being supplied under Gazprom Export contracts. Western European countries accounted for approximately 81% of the company’s exports from Russia, while Central European states took 19%.
The Western European market (including Turkey) consumes the bulk of Russian exports. In 2017, Gazprom Export delivered 155.96 billion cubic meters of gas to markets in the region.
The Eastern and Central European natural gas market is particularly important because of its geographical proximity to Russia. The Russian ‘blue fuel’ accounts for more than a half of gas consumption in the region. In 2017, Gazprom Export sold 36.3 billion cubic meters of gas in this market.
Source: Gazprom website
