Report: Belarus wants Russia to cut price of natural gas

MINSK, May 14 (PRIME) -- A $127 price of Russian natural gas for Belarus should be reduced because Moscow sells it to Europe at U.S. $70 per 1,000 cubic meters, Belarusian state news agency BelTA reported on Thursday quoting President Alexander Lukashenko.

“Yesterday, I received information that Russia sells natural gas to Europe for up to $70 during these hard times, for $65–68, but not for $127 like it sells to Belarus. What is the situation here and what could we expect in the future?” Lukashenko told Prime Minister Sergei Rumas, as quoted by BelTA.

“This won’t do, they sell natural gas to Germany for up to $70 in the year of the 75th anniversary (of the victory in the Great Patriotic War)…but not for $127 like they sell to Belarus,” he said.

Rumas said that Minsk plans to negotiate a price cut with Russian gas giant Gazprom in May. Belarus is ready to support its position with the figures that show higher profitability of Gazprom’s exports to Belarus against exports to the non-CIS states, and ambassador Vladimir Semashko will represent Minsk in these negotiations, he said.

End %%md/jst%%