Putin Sues For Help

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will meet today in the network of Russian president's visit to Israel.

Putin intends to discuss the possibility of Israel?s help to promote the Russian national gas monopoly Gazprom, as the third supplier of natural gas to Israel.

Gazprom, the largest gas company in the world, has offered to sell Israel 4 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. The gas will be transported through an undersea pipeline that will be laid from Turkey to Israel. The value of the gas is estimated at $400 million a year, based on present prices paid by Israel.

The project is expected to cost $1.5 billion.