Brussels, 07/04/2010 (Agence Europe) - EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger went to Moscow on Wednesday 7 April for a three-day visit. He will meet with deputy Russian prime minister Igor Sechin, Russian energy minister Sergey Shmatko and the CEO of Russian gas giant Gazprom Aleksey Miller. On Thursday 8 April, he will speak at an international energy forum in Moscow before attending the opening of construction work the next day on the Nord Stream gas pipeline in Portovaya. In a press release, the commissioner explains that cooperation with the Russian government was one of his priorities and that is why Russia is the first non-EU country he was visiting in his post as EU energy commissioner. He said Russia was a strategic partner for the EU and he hoped it would be possible to improve energy relations based on mutual respect. Oettinger will travel on from Russia to Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan next week to discuss gas cooperation. (E.H./transl.fl)