Belarus to pay off debt for Russian gas today


The Belarusian authorities have promised to clear arrears for the supplied Russian natural gas.

“We are going to transfer the money today,” Energy Minister Uladzimir Patupchyk said.

 The conflict started as Belarus wanted to buy gas at the price of $73 per thousand cubic meters. Current price of the Russian gas for our country is $132. According to the Russian Energy Ministry, Belarus gas debt reached $270-300 mln. In turn, Minsk failed to acknowledge the debt.

Amid the gas row, Russia cut oil supplies to Belarus: In Q4 2016 Moscow will supply Minsk with only 3 mln tons of oil. Thus, by the end of the year our country will receive 18 mln tons instead of desired 24 mln. In response, Belarus raised duties on oil and oil products exported outside the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Community (EEC).

As reported earlier, Russia will restore the previous volume of oil deliveries to Belarus, and Belarus will annul a decision to raise the oil transit tariff.

belsat.eu

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