Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov said today in Doha that Moscow is committed to honor contracts with European countries and to continue exporting natural gas "without interruption."

"Russian companies are honoring their contracts and working to develop the production and export of natural gas to countries such as Turkey, France and Germany," the energy minister said in a speech at the 6th Summit of the Forum of Gas Exporting Countries (FPEG), which is taking place in the Qatari capital.

Shulginov, who represented Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that Russia, the world's largest exporter of natural gas, was announcing its "commitment to continuous and uninterrupted supply" and "increased investment" in the sector.

The remarks come at a time when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the blocking of certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in response to Putin's move to recognize pro-Russian separatist territories in Ukraine.

"Together we can seek excellent and appropriate solutions to the challenges facing the gas sector in production and other fields," Shulginov said in the speech.

The summit of gas-exporting countries was held because of growing global concern over energy security, exacerbated by the crisis created by tension between Nato and Russia over the crisis in Ukraine.

In the face of this crisis, the European Union is negotiating with countries such as Qatar, Algeria and Egypt for liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to alleviate possible Russian supply cuts if Brussels sanctions Moscow.

However, Qatar's Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi stated that it is "impossible" to replace in the short term the volume of gas that Russia supplies to Europe, which accounts for up to 40% of the EU bloc's imports.

Source: Lusa