| April 2006 |
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Gazprom [RTS: GAZP] is now the world's second-biggest company in the energy sector after U.S.-based Exxon Mobil and ranks fourth overall by capitalization, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.
Addressing a Russian-German business forum in the Siberian city of Tomsk, Merkel said Germany regarded fossil fuels as Russia's most important export, but that her country was also interested in expanding cooperation in areas including logistics, infrastructure, aircraft and car manufacturing, and banking. 
Russia's foreign minister on Thursday dismissed allegations the country would use its vast energy resources as a way of producing pressure to get its own way in the international arena. 
"This year we plan to fully cancel our liabilities to the Paris Club. We hope that Germany and other countries will be able to take advantage of our offer," Putin said.
Angela Merkel and President Vladimir Putin are meeting Thursday with participants of a Russian-German economic forum being held on the fringes of the German chancellor's current visit to Russia.
Gazprom (RTS: GAZP) could sign an agreement with German utility E.ON Ruhrgas AG on joint exploration of the Yuzhno-Russkoe oil-and-gas deposit within three months, a senior official said Thursday.
"We were happy to hear that Volkswagen has made a final decision to start investment in Russia," German Gref said at a Russian-German economic forum in the West Siberian oil city of Tomsk.



