Russia’s gas giant Gazprom recently made an announcement to the effect that it set up a brand new representative office in the city of Brussels, Belgium. According to Alexander Medvedev, who serves as the deputy chairman of Gazprom’s management committee,

Russia’s integrated energy concern is a global company with a wide network of foreign representative offices. Gazprom today seeks to boost its presence not only in the market where it already does business, but also in prospective markets.

Taking part in the opening ceremony of Gazprom’s Belgian office were Alexander Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Gazprom management committee, Anatoly Yanovsky, Deputy Energy Minister of the Russian Federation, Alexander Romanov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Belgium, Vladimir Chizhov, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the European Union, Gunter Oettinger, European Commissioner for Energy, the representatives of Belgian executive and legislative bodies, including Melchior Wathelet, State Secretary for Environment, Energy, Mobility, and Institutional Reforms, as well as Members of the European Parliament and heads of European oil and gas companies As Mr. Medvedev noted, the Russian gas monopoly ships natural gas to some twenty European states, investing billions of dollars in trans-border energy projects. Mr. Medvedev explained the importance of opening the office in Brussels by referring to Gazprom’s ongoing negotiations with key European Union authorities and organizations. Having an office in the capital of the European Union is expected to simplify the Russian company’s dialogue with E.U. authorities and other parties interested in the development of the energy concern’s European presence.

Gazprom has representative offices in seven FSU countries (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, Latvia, Moldova, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine) and in five countries beyond the FSU (Algeria, Brazil, China, Iran, and Qatar).

Belgium doesn’t produce natural gas and has no proven gas reserves. According to 2012 results, Belgium consumed 16.9 billion cubic meters of imported natural gas.