It is not surprising, therefore, that many stakeholders tend to participate in the event. The Secretariat official addressed the audience in the context of the afternoon plenary panel session on the topic of ‘the rules of the game for the European natural gas markets’. The panel consisted of participants from the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation, Gazprom, Nord Steam, Gas Infrastructure Europe, the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies and the European Parliament. A useful exchange of opinions followed. Please click here to download the full event program. 

The Russian Federation was one of the original signatory countries of the Energy Charter Treaty in 1994. It did not ratify the Treaty, however. In 2009, the Russian Federation, by it's own account, elected ‘not to become a member of the Energy Charter Treaty’ and pulled out of its provisional application. It did not withdraw its signature from the Treaty, however.