Belarusian officials hiding substance of negotiations with Gazprom

Belarus formed a position for negotiations on Russian gas prices in 2010, minister of energy of Belarus Alyaksandr Azyarets said.

“We have a certain position that will be introduced at negotiations with Gazprom,” he said.

As Interfax reports, the minister refused to unveil the substance of the position. “We’ll say details after it is considered,” the head of the Ministry of Energy promised.

He added that the Belarusian delegation would go to Moscow as soon as chairman of Gazprom management board returns to the capital of Russia.

As we have informed earlier, first vice premier of Belarus Uladzimir Syamashka said Belarus wanted to save the gas pricing formula in 2010 and the reduction factors of the current year.

However, Aleksey Miller, the chairman of Gazprom management board, said gas prices for Belarus would be increased gradually in accordance with the contract signed.

On December 31, 2006, Gazprom and Beltransgaz signed a gas supply and transit contract for 2007-2011. The docuemtn defined the price formula since January 1, 2008 (in accordance with prices of Russian gas supplies to Europe), reduction factor for 2008–2010 (0.67, 0.8, 0.9 respectively). By 2011, Belarus should pay 100 per cent of the average European price.