St. Petersburg, Gazprom Sign Cooperation Memorandum

Matviyenko said Gazprom has already helped to reconstruct heating facilities in the Petrogradsky District of St. Petersburg.

The state-controlled natural gas monopoly is due to spend nearly 4 billion rubles ($140 million) on the reconstruction of city heating facilities by 2008.

Miller said Gazprom will also construct a soccer stadium in St. Petersburg, as well as a controversial Gazprom City compound that will include one of the city's tallest office buildings. Some local residents have argued that the skyscraper will mar the city's historical landscape, which has been declared a UNESCO cultural landmark.

Miller also said the Russian oil major Sibneft, which was recently sold to Gazprom, is moving its headquarters to St. Petersburg.

(ITAR-TASS/RIA-Novosti)