BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

15/10/2007

Belarus Eager for Second Pipeline

MINSK, Belarus, Oct 13, 2007 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Belarus is offering Russia five years of free transit to break ground on the second leg of a pipeline delivering natural gas to central Europe.

"Start building the second line, and if you are afraid it will be unprofitable, we will exempt you from transit taxes for five years," Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said at a news conference Friday in Minsk, RIA Novosti reported Saturday.

The pipeline runs from northwest Siberia to Russia's border with Belarus and through Germany into Poland for a total of 1,240 miles. The second leg would financially benefit Belarus and further tighten Russia's control of the gas supply to energy-hungry Europe.

In May, Russia's Gazprom's signed a deal to buy 50 percent of Belarusian pipeline operator Beltransga and use it for natural gas transit to central Europe.

Source:

http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=51443

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