Russia's Gazprom said France's GDF Suez has expressed interest in taking a minority stake in Nord Stream gas pipeline from Russia to Germany.
Gazprom said in a statement such proposals had been made during its chief executive officer Alexei Miller's meeting with GDF Suez's executives in Paris on Monday. GDF Suez plans to buy up to 2.5 billion cubic metres of gas per year from Nord Stream, which is being built by Gazprom, Germany's BASF and E.ON EONG.DE and Dutch Gasunie.
The pipeline is due to be ready by the end of 2011.