Statement of Russian Ambassador Fear Belarusian Officials

After transition to average European cost, gas costs for Belarus will be 30% lower than for neighbouring countries, Belarusian vice Prime Minister Andrei Kabyakou has stated today.

As informed by Interfax, addressing the “parliament”, A. Kabyakou made a guess that “Russia probably would get the right to preserve customs duties for gas when joining the WTO. Application of customs duties in mutual trade for the members of the customs union is prohibited, it means that gas for Belarus (in the framework of the customs union of Belarus, Russia and Kazalhstan) will be at least 30% cheaper than for the neighbouring countries”.

As we have informed, yesterday Aleksandr Surikov, Russia’s ambassador to Belarus, said today gas prices for Belarus can exceed 200 dollars in 2009. Speaking about gas cost by 2011, the ambassador didn’t exclude gas prices could reach 400 dollars and higher. Commenting on the fact, the draft Belarusian budget for 2009 is based on 140-dollar gas price, A. Surikov said sarcastically: “It is a will of any state. One can base a budget on even less figure.”