April 07, 2007	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 18, 1428

MOSCOW, April 6: Russia’s energy minister on Friday poured scorn on suggestions that gas exporters would announce a “gas Opec” at a meeting in Qatar next week, pledging that Russia would never take part in such an organisation.

Leading producers are to meet in Doha on Monday at the Gas Exporting Countries Forum amid reports they have been working on an Iran-backed plan to form a club to control prices.

“Are we going to sign up to a gas price policy? Of course not,” Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko told a news conference.

He said that Russia had no intention of taking part in a gas cartel, despite suggestions earlier this year from Russian President Vladimir Putin that the idea of a “gas Opec” should be examined.

“We have not had, we have not and we will not have such an objective of taking part in such a relationship against anyone,” he said.

The idea of a “gas Opec” has caused concern in consuming countries, whose vulnerability to energy suppliers is a key security issue, and the idea of a cartel was expected to figure at the Gas Exporting Countries Forum.

Founded in 2001, GECF is an informal organisation grouping 15 countries. It includes Russia, Iran, Qatar, Venezuela and Algeria, which together control 72 per cent of world reserves and 42 per cent of production.

Until now, its activities have remained limited, and it has not even met since 2005.

Khristenko conceded that the Doha meeting “is causing a lot of tension, sometimes exaggerated, sometimes wild.” But he said the meeting on Monday would be about “how to make the functioning of the Forum more effective” and “reinforcing cooperation” between members.

“For Russia, it is very important to use this possibility to put in place a global energy dialogue,” he said.

The Opec proposed as the model for the gas producers was formed in 1960 and is the supplier of more than a third of world oil.—AFP