Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Tuesday any fears that some countries could form an OPEC-style gas cartel were unfounded.
   
"We know that some energy-consuming countries are concerned and even have fears (about such a cartel), but these fears are baseless," Putin said after talks with his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Nazif in Moscow, Interfax news agency reported.
   
"We will not create any cartel, nor sign an agreement on a cartel: none of us will give up part of his sovereignty when decisions are made," he added.
   
But Putin admitted that energy-producing countries "must coordinate their actions, exchange information and do everything to guarantee uninterrupted oil and gas deliveries to world markets".
   
Contacts among gas exporters are currently made through an informal Forum of Gas-Exporting Countries which groups Algeria, Iran, Qatar, Russia, Venezuela and some other nations.
   
Gas importers fear that an OPEC-style gas cartel could lead to price-fixing.