SOCHI, May 10. / TASS /. Gazprom and Rosneft are holding discussions on gas exports to Europe, but the government has no plans to change the regulatory framework, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich told reporters.

"I know that they are holding a discussion, I am aware of this. But currently we are not going to change the regulations," Dvorkovich said.

According to him, the government is not discussing this issue now.

"We have no plans to change the relevant regulatory framework. If Gazprom wants to work on such a basis [agent agreement - TASS] it has the right to do this. But I'm not sure that the company wants this. At least there were comments that they will not...," Dvorkovich said.

When asked whether the government is discussing liberalization of gas exports, Dvorkovich said that "they are not discussing it in the government". He added he heard that the head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service had proposed to discuss it.

Earlier, the Izvestia newspaper reported that Gazprom and Rosneft are working on the agent agreement to export gas to Europe so as Rosneft would be able to supply gas to BP.

However, Gazprom export denied this information, saying that it "does not correspond to reality."

Two independent gas producers-Novatek and Rosneft appealed to the State to allow them export of pipeline gas to Europe. Deputy Energy Minister Kirill Molodtsov said that the ministry had received the request of Rosneft for the pipeline export of gas through a single export channel.

Vice-President of Rosneft Mikhail Leontyev told TASS that the company expects the Energy Ministry to support its request to export gas through a single export channel. According to him, the company would like to have a possibility to sell its gas to consumers that are not identical to the consumers of Gazprom, and they are willing to buy gas of Rosneft.

Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich reported that independent producers want to export pipeline gas, but so far the government does not plan to grant them permission for this.