MOSCOW, April 4 (RIA Novosti) - Gazprom's export earnings are expected to grow by 27% to about $33 billion, the head of the Russian energy giant's export arm said Tuesday.
Gazexport head Alexander Medvedev said, "Even if I were very pessimistic, earnings would still stand at no less than $33 billion."
He said Gazprom's export earnings totaled $26 billion in 2006 (up 41.8% year on year).
Medvedev also said Gazprom was planning to preserve a single export channel and that Gazexport, soon to be renamed Gazpromexport, would handle all the company's natural gas supplies.
He said gas prices for foreign consumers could not be compared as they depended on local conditions and expenses. Prices for Armenia and Georgia were raised to $110 per 1,000 cubic meters last year, he said, adding that this was not a final price.
Belarus is currently paying $46.68 per 1,000 cu m of natural gas, compared with $230 for Ukraine.
