BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

15/12/2007

Belarus gets discount on Russian gas

Russia will sell natural gas to Belarus in the first quarter of 2008 for $US 119 per 1,000 cubic metres, in accordance with the 2006 agreement. Thus gas price for Belarus will be kept at the current level. President Putin made the announcement in Minsk during talks with his Belarusian counterpart Aleksandr Lukashenko.

The Belarusian president said his country undertakes transit responsibilities "so that countries in Western Europe, rich and poor alike, and the European Union have stability in energy supplies".

Russia will also provide a loan to Belarus of $US 1.5 billion to help its neighbour pay for energy.

On Saturday a senior official from Gazprom said the current agreement, which is still profitable for the company, is effective until 2011.

Despite widespread speculation the question of a possible union of the two countries was not raised.

Source:

http://www.russiatoday.ru/news/news/18534