BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

07/12/2006

Belarus finds independent valuation of Beltransgaz valid

MINSK, December 7 (Itar-Tass) - Belarus considers as valid an independent valuation of its gas transportation system Beltransgaz by the Dutch bank ABN AMRO.

"Examination of the documents has shown that calculations of experts are, from the Belarussian point of view, economically valid and rest on a concrete economic rationale," Belarussian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky said in the parliament on Thursday.

He said that talks on setting up a Belarussian-Russian joint venture at Beltransgaz were continuing.

The Belarussian side hopes that the "parameters that it presents at the negotiations will be positively met by the Russian partners in Gazprom".

Sidorsky said that active talks are also in progress with the Russian government on the price of Russian gas for Belarus for the next year "on positions that remain not agreed upon".

He said that the Belarussian side "adheres to the agreements and measures that were adopted within the framework of the union government for the levelling of conditions for economic entities of the two countries".

Belarus proceeds from the assumption that the "gas price for economic entities will increase within Russia itself by 15 percent next year", Sidorsky said.

He also said that the Russian government had approved a strategy of Gazprom's development and a pattern of a price increase in the years to 2011.

The strategy is to lead economic entities to a commercial gas price, 180 dollars for 1,000 cubic metres.

Sidorsky said that the Belarussian government took this strategy into consideration.

Belarussian Finance Minister Nikolai Korbut told reporters on Tuesday that the government also projected a 15 percent increase in the gas price in the 2007 draft budget that is being reviewed by the parliament in the first reading.

Source:

http://www.tass.ru/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11060541&PageNum=0