President Bouteflika backs up the idea of the creation of OPEC Gas

After Vladimir Poutine

President Bouteflika backs up the idea of the creation of OPEC Gas

El Khabar, 14 march 2007

President Bouteflika considers that the idea of the creation of an OPEC Gas deserves being studied by all the interested parties, a statement that converges with Russian President Poutine declarations, and contradicts the Minister of Energy and Mines Mr. Chakib Khelil ones.
At the time when European States showed great concerns, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika statements, yesterday for El Pais Spanish paper, who stressed that the above-mentioned idea deserves a great interest, intervened to fuel the European increasing concerns. Despite Chakib Khelil attempts to calm them down, confirming that Sonatrach agreement with Gazprom is like the other agreements Algeria concluded with Gas de France, British Petroleum, British Gas, and Statoil, European fears remain in place.
President Bouteflika statements also coincide with Iranian proposals to launch an OPEC-like organisation for gas, as well as after the strategic agreement sealed between Sonatrach and Russia most important gas company Gazprom, noteworthy that the idea of the creation of such an organization will be discussed on ninth of April in Doha.
Russia and Algeria have imposed themselves after the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding between Algeria and Gazprom by August 2006 in Moscow, and a protocol agreement between the two countries energy ministers on cooperation consolidating in energy field.
However, the European fears are ill founded, and coordination between gas producer countries will not be but beneficial to consumer countries, a reliable source from energy sector told El Khabar.

2007-03-14
By S. Hafid/ Translated by N. K