Gazprom Increases Export Prices

Russia?s natural gas monopoly Gazprom plans to increase its average export price for Western European consumers by two to four percent next year.

Vladimir Merkulov, a department head at Gazprom's export arm Gazexport, told Interfax that this year?s average price would be around $185-190 per 1,000 cubic meters.

?Judging from the oil product price estimates we have, a certain decline in gas prices may be expected in the second half of the year. However, during the year as a whole we should evidently expect a slight rise in prices compared to 2005,? he was quoted as saying.