BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

24/07/2008

Belarus says has no Gazprom debts

MINSK, July 24 (Reuters) - Belarus owes no money to Gazprom (GAZP.MM: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), the state gas transit company said on Thursday, a week after the Russian gas monopoly threatened to sue over an undisclosed amount of what they described as payment arrears.

Belarus pays $128 per 1,000 cubic metres as of April 1, having paid $119 in the first quarter of this year and $100 last year. That is still much lower than the $400 that European Union countries are estimated to pay. "At the moment, Belarus owes no debt to Gazprom. That sums it up," Beltransgaz spokesman Vladimir Chekov said. He did not elaborate on whether any debts had been paid off.

Analysts have said Belarus had gas debts of $50 million. (Reporting by Andrei Makhovsky)

Source:

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssEnergyNews/idUSL2424898320080724

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