Gazprom says to discuss '21 price if Minsk meets 2020 deal terms

MOSCOW, Jun 8 (PRIME) -- Russian gas giant Gazprom is ready to start negotiations on the gas price for Belarus in 2021, if the country complies with the contract terms in 2020, the company said in a statement on Monday.

"Gazprom confirms readiness to start negotiations on the terms of gas supply from January 1, 2021 in case of full compliance with the previous agreements by the Belarusian side," the company said.

According to Gazprom, CEO Alexei Miller had answered to last week’s letter of the Belarus’ Energy Ministry saying that the terms of 2020 supplies were agreed on February 14.

Last week the Belarus’ Energy Ministry asked Gazprom for methodology of calculating the actual average monthly calorific value of natural gas it supplies, the key factor in determining its price, to settle a dispute with the Russian gas giant.

On May 29, Gazprom said that it would be ready to negotiate gas supplies to Belarus from 2021 only after Minsk settles its U.S. $165.6 million debt for gas. The Belarusian Energy Ministry denied having any debt, saying that the companies were having pricing disagreements due to calorific value of gas.

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