Minsk wants Smolensk Region gas price plus transportation costs

MINSK, Dec 6 (PRIME) -- Belarus wants the price for Russian gas to be equal to the price in the Smolensk Region of Russia plus transportation costs, Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Rumas told reporters on Friday.

“Our position is that it should be the price of the Russian region that is closest to us – the Smolensk Region – plus transportation costs,” he said.

Belarus prepared its calculations of Russia’s compensation for contaminated oil, and would like to receive the quickest Moscow answer.

“We have calculations of the compensation, but I wouldn’t like to mention them not to complicate the negotiations…We hope that the issue will become clear very soon,” he said.

The problem with the quality of oil coming from Russia to Europe across Belarus via the Druzhba pipeline appeared in April. Good-quality oil deliveries resumed in early May, but Russian oil pipeline monopoly is still discussing compensations.

Rumas also said that Moscow and Minsk were still to coordinate 16 issues of integration of the two countries.

End