Gazprom CEO says foreign cash available - paper

VIENNA, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom (GAZP.MM) is not worried by its financial position and can use more credit lines from foreign banks if needed, its chief executive was quoted as saying on Thursday.

"Like everyone else, we have felt the effects of the global financial market crisis," CEO Alexei Miller told Austrian daily Die Presse in an interview.

"But we are not worried about our financial position or our ability to use new credit lines from foreign banks. For us the state help is above all a safety net and that should reassure our shareholders."

Last week Gazprom, the world's largest gas company, said the global liquidity crisis could affect its ability to refinance debts, and may have an impact on its cashflow forecasts.

As of Thursday, the capitalisation of Gazprom, which supplies Europe with a quarter of its gas, had fallen by over 65 percent to around $100 billion from its May 22 high.

Industry insiders have said western banks are refusing new loans for Russian companies for the rest of 2008 as the investment climate in the country worsens.

Miller also said that while gas prices for western Europe could fall in the final months of 2008, they would stay relatively high in 2009.

"In terms of next year it is clear there will be no fall back down to the prices from five or ten years ago," he said.

Gazprom said earlier this month its average price for Europe reached an all-time high of $500 per 1,000 cubic metres.

He said in the newspaper interview that Gazprom is able to produce enough gas to meet demand.

Miller said the 7.4 billion euro ($9.43 billion) Nord Stream pipeline project, which is expected to transport up to 55 billion cubic metres of gas a year via the Baltic Sea from the beginning of 2011, is "water tight" despite concerns surrounding its environmental impact.

The project is led by Gazprom (GAZP.MM) and involves German firms BASF (BASF.DE) and E.ON EONG.DE. (Reporting by Sylvia Westall; Editing by Erica Billingham)