The Gazprom Headquarters has hosted the first session of the Joint Working Group for cooperation between Gazprom and the Government of the Sakha Republic. The session was moderated by the heads of the Working Group: Gennady Alekseev, First Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Sakha Republic and Viktor Timoshilov, Head of the Gazprom Eastern Projects Coordination Directorate.

Within the meeting Action Plan of the Joint Working Group over 2007 to 2008 was approved by the parties and signed by the heads of the Working Group. The plan stipulates execution of the exact measures proposed in the Agreement of cooperation between Gazprom and the Sakha Republic (Yakutia).

The parties mentioned that the Eastern Program approval by the Government would speed up the work aimed at development of the gas production center in Yakutia. The parties discussed issues related to gas supply of the Sakha Republic and development of gas processing and chemical production capacities in the region. Additionally, the parties underscored that the development of the said capacities was necessary to start large-scale gas production in Yakutia.

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The Working Group was set up in pursuance of the Agreement of cooperation between Gazprom and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) signed on July 17, 2007.

The Agreement stipulates the following major directions for the joint work in the frames of the Eastern Program implementation:

• joint participation in the development and execution of gas supply & gasification projects and programs in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia);
• preparation and implementation of the hydrocarbon field prospecting, exploration and development projects;
• organization of the regional processing and chemical production;
• gas and energy saving technologies development and implementation.

The Development Program for the Integrated Gas Production, Transportation and Supply System in Eastern Siberia and the Far East with due regard of Possible Gas Export to China and other Asia-Pacific Countries (Eastern Program) was approved on June 19, 2007 at the session of the Russian Federation Government and approved by the Order #340 of the Ministry of Industry and Energy as of September 3, 2007.

Pursuant to the Directive of the Russian Federation Government #975-p as of July 16, 2007 Gazprom was appointed as the Eastern Program coordinator.

The Government of the Republic of Sakha developed and approved by the Federal authorities the Comprehensive Development Scheme for the production, transportation and power generation sectors until 2020 and the Comprehensive Development project of the Southern Yakutia stipulating development of the gas production and processing center in the Republic.