Careful approach to gas market liberalization

Putin urges careful approach to gas market liberalization

      Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin

said a careful approach was needed to gas market liberalization.

     Free  access to pipelines would be good for the consumer because it

would push prices down, but it would not be so good for the state, Putin

said at the VTB Capital investment forum.

     But  "ultimately  we  are  aiming  to  liberalize"  the Russian gas

market," he said.

     The  monopoly  on  export sales will be preserved. Not for ever, of

course, but certainly for the short-to-medium term," he said.