Russia updating Eastern Gas Program to speed up gasification regardless of external situation - Shulginov

MOSCOW. March 15 (Interfax) - The Eastern Gas Program is being updated to accelerate the gasification of these Russian regions regardless of the external situation, Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov said during "government hour" in the State Duma.

"Currently, the Ministry and Gazprom are adjusting the Eastern Gas Program to consolidate the resource base of production projects and create a unified system for transporting, processing and selling gas. The purpose of the adjustment is to accelerate the gasification of the regions of Eastern Siberia and the Far East, regardless of the external situation," he said.

"The creation of infrastructure for the gasification of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Irkutsk Region, the Trans-Baikal Territory, Buryatia and the Jewish Autonomous Region is the most important task," he said.