BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

09/08/2007

Gazprom Says Belarus Repaid All Debt

Reuters

Belarus has fully paid its gas debt to Moscow, Gazprom said Wednesday, lifting a threat to reduce supplies to Minsk.

"We confirm that [Belarussian pipeline firm] Beltransgaz has today paid the last outstanding tranche and the debt is now fully covered," a Gazprom spokeswoman said.

Belarus' deadline to pay a $456 million debt to Gazprom for supplies in the first half of 2007 passed at the end of July.

Gazprom had threatened to cut deliveries by 45 percent from Aug. 3, but Minsk won a one-week reprieve by paying part of the debt last week. Clearing the outstanding balance means a second deadline of Aug. 10 set by Gazprom now falls away.

Gazprom doubled gas prices for Belarus to $100 per 1,000 cubic meters from January, but allowed the country to pay only half the price in the first six months.

Source:

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2007/08/09/043.html