ROSATOM - June 22, 2018 in Moscow ROSATOM and the Ministry of Infrastructure of the Republic of Rwanda signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of atomic energy.

REUTERS - “We met. We discussed energy issues, among other things. We touched upon questions related to sanctions,” Novak said in a press briefing in Washington. “We can’t sidestep these difficult questions, so of course we touched upon them during our contact.”

OGJ - Sandra Oudkirk, deputy assistant secretary for energy diplomacy at the US Department of State, confirmed that the Trump administration has received several requests to sanction the proposed Gazprom-sponsored pipeline that would extend from Russia beneath the Baltic Sea to Germany.

BLOOMBERG - Russian Oil Minister Alexander Novak said in a speech yesterday that “we need to build upon our successful cooperation model and institutionalize its success through a broader and more permanent strategically focused framework.” His Saudi counterpart Khalid Al-Falih echoed those comments.

GAZPROM - The meeting highlighted that Germany continued to ramp up its imports of Russian gas. According to preliminary data, from January 1 through June 19, 2018, Gazprom supplied Germany with 28.2 billion cubic meters of gas, an increase of 13.1 per cent from the same period of 2017.

PLATTS - Iran will not accept any proposals for OPEC to raise its quotas, the country's oil minister said Tuesday, adding that even a 500,000 b/d increase "is not necessary." "Decisions in OPEC need unanimity," Bijan Zanganeh said on arrival in Vienna ahead of OPEC talks this week. "I don't think at this meeting we can reach an agreement."

PLATTS - "Today we submitted a petition to the Court of Appeal in Sweden," Vitrenko said as the Ukrainian company looks to find legal grounds to continue its efforts to seize Gazprom assets in the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK to enforce the arbitration award.

PLATTS - "Today, the political situation is somewhat different. The South Korean side approached Gazprom about the revival of this project. A series of talks took place on this. These talks are continuing. We can't say anything further, but we are renewing such talks with the Korean side," Markelov said.

ARAB NEWS - On June 14, Saudi Arabia’s energy minister, Khalid Al-Falih, said it was “inevitable” OPEC+ participants would vote to boost oil production gradually at next week’s meeting . Speaking to reporters in Moscow, Al-Falih said “as usual we will do the right thing … I think we’ll come to an agreement that satisfies most importantly the market.” The deal leaders, Saudi Arabia and Russia, are said to have proposed plans for the group to add as much as 1 million barrels per day to production.

ARAB NEWS - Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Thursday.