Other firms could be asked to provide gas alongside Gazprom - Putin
SAYANO-SHUSHENSKAYA HPP, Khakasiya. Feb 24 (Interfax) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has urged gas giant Gazprom to follow a "responsible" approach towards the development of the country's infrastructure that is used to supply natural gas to the energy sector.
"Gazprom must treat the development of the infrastructure that helps provide the energy sector with gas as responsibly as possible. Otherwise independent producers will also be ready to make their contribution to the solution to this issue," Putin said at a session addressing the electricity sector's investment program.
"If the company [Gazprom] itself proves unable to cope with all of these tasks, it means that we will have to involve other companies," the prime minister said.
Pipelines delivering natural gas to new energy sector facilities must be built in time, he said.
"Gazprom should immediately be interested in this expansion of the domestic hydrocarbons consumption market," he added.