Belarus Hasn't Repaid Debt For Russian Gas

Russia and Belarus continue negotiations over payment of the debt for gas.

As the Russian Deputy Energy Minister Kirill Molodtsov said to RIA Novosti, Russia and Belarus continue negotiations over the payment of the debt for gas.

– There are consultations, – Molodtsov said answering the question on whether Belarus has paid the debt for gas.

Let us remind, that the oil and gas conflict between Russia and Belarus started when following the global drop in energy prices Minsk called 73 dollars per 1 thousand cubic meters to be the fair price for Russian gas supplied to Belarus. Russia insisted on the observance of the existing contract, which is valid for 2015-2016 years. Now, the price for gas for Belarus is 132 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters.

Fall in oil supplies to Belarus down to 2.25 million tons in the third quarter of 2016 is also related to the gas issue. The Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said that Russia had made this decision because of the underpayment for gas supplies.

December 8, Belarus made an advance payment for the supply of Russian gas. The Prime Minister's press secretary Vladislav Sychevich called it "a gesture of goodwill."

"Belarus is interested to settle the current situation as soon as possible, therefore, it made an advance payment for natural gas as a first step and a gesture of goodwill," – Sychevich said.

The press secretary added, that Belarus expects certain response actions from the Russian side – that volume of oil supplies to Belarus will be restored to those defined by the existing intergovernmental agreements.

On the same day, the Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said, that Russia had received offers concerning payment for gas from Belarus and that they were discussed. He noted that Russia is waiting for repayment of debt for gas.