The Chairman of the Management committee Alexey Miller congratulates Gazprom Joint-Stock Company on its 15th Anniversary

Dear colleagues,

Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on the 15th anniversary of Gazprom Joint-Stock Company.

Our Company’s team bears an enormous responsibility for Russia’s economic and energy security. In fact, the reliable and sustainable gas supply to industrials and households, replenishment of the federal and regional budgets and fulfillment of Russia’s international commitments are dependent on Gazprom.

Therefore, all these 15 years Gazprom has been not just a joint-stock company aimed at generating a maximum profit for its owners, but also one of the most important factors in maintaining the stability of Russia.

Thanks to the efforts of the qualified, creative and devoted to their jobs staff, Gazprom has occupied today an honorable position among the most powerful global energy companies.

In the mid-1990s, under the complicated conditions of the country's transfer toward a market economy, Gazprom actually funded the entire Russian economy supplying the fixed price gas in the persistent environment of non-payments. At the same time, Gazprom was able to consolidate its position as a vertically integrated business, continued to develop the Unified Gas Supply System, discovered and developed new fields, laid the unique gas transmission routes, like the Blue Stream.

In recent years we have managed to significantly increase the hydrocarbon production, to ensure the Company's sustained financial performance and to return the controlling stake in Gazprom to the state. All the above made it possible to take a significant step toward developing Gazprom as an open joint-stock company – to secure the stock market liberalization in 2005. Presently, our Company is one of the most expensive in the world.

Dear colleagues, the past 15 years were highly intensive for the Company, however, we are in for new large projects.

We have set the ambitious targets covering all business areas. The Shtokman field development project has commenced. Gazprom is entering the Yamal. The agreements are achieved on the South Stream construction across the Black Sea. The North Stream project under the Baltic Sea is in progress. A big scope of work has been performed to develop the Unified Gas Supply System in the Far East and Eastern Siberia.

As for the European energy sector, Gazprom's target is not only to be the largest wholesale natural gas supplier, but also to enforce its position in the end user segment. At the same time, we will conquer new markets and enter those both with pipeline gas and new products, like LNG.

Surely, the expertise and unique experience of our team will enable Gazprom to meet the foregoing targets to the benefit of the Company and Russia.

Congratulations, dear colleagues!

Alexey Miller

the Chairman of the Management committee