Jul 12. French ambassador to Russia is proud of Total taken on board by Gazprom for the Shtokman project.

French Ambassador to Russia Stanislas de Laboulaye welcomes Gazprom's decision to take France's Total on board as a partner in the Shtokman project. "I'm happy about this and I am very proud of this fact" – he said Thursday in an interview with Ekho Moskvy radio station. As the high-ranking French diplomat said, "Total-Gazprom relations are very friendly and Gazprom executives trust Total. De Laboulaye also emphasized that Total is a highly professional corporation. "This played a role" – the ambassador stressed noting that tapping the Shtokman field is a difficult task. Earlier, Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller said that Total will get a 25% stake in a special purpose vehicle (SPV) that will be developing the Shtokman field.