Infrastructures Ministry officials are in parallel talks with Gazprom and BG Group.
The Ministry of National Infrastructures is continuing its efforts to obtain natural gas from Russia even as it renews negotiations with BG Group plc (NYSE: BRG; LSE: BG) to obtain gas from its reserves offshore from Gaza. Sources inform ''Globes'' that Ministry of National Infrastructures director general Hezi Kugler headed a delegation that recently secretly visited Moscow to meet senior Gazprom executives in an effort to reach an agreement in principle for natural gas deliveries to Israel.
No Ministry of Finance officials were members of the delegation. In conversations behind closed doors, top ministry officials said the visit contradicted a government decision, and could affect the negotiations with BG Group.
Ministry of National Infrastructures sources counter that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert gave his full support to pursuing talks with Gazprom, and that top Ministry of Finance officials were notified in advance about the negotiations. The meeting with Gazprom took place at the same time as Olmert's official visit to Moscow early this month.
The Ministry of National Infrastructures reportedly wants to sign an memorandum of understanding with Gazprom within a few months.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 29, 2008
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