Moscow – The issue of possible merger of Russia's OJSC Gazprom and Ukraine's National JSC Naftogaz Ukrainy would not affect the realization of the South Stream project, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko has told journalists.
"These are two very different things. Our proposals to establish joint business [with Ukraine] have no relation to the South Stream," he said.
The minister said that the main task of South Stream is stable gas supplies to European consumers.
The form of the development of the offer to merge the two companies is an unsettled question.
