Lukashenka and Putin haven’t made a bargain: price for gas not defined
8- 7.10.2008, 9:28
Yesterday Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited Minsk. He met with Alyaksandr Lukashenka. According to the Russian newspaper “Kommersant”, talks on the Russian loan and gas price haven’t taken tangible effect.
The talks could hardly have brought to concrete results, the newspaper believes. It’s strange to agree upon prices during the financial crisis. It is possible that in half a year the price of $127.9 per thousand cubic metres wished to be paid by Beltransgaz in 2009 (which is the same as in 2008) would seem highly overestimated.
In the end of the talks Putin expressed his opinion on the crisis. As said by him, the presidential administration and Russian government have created the common working group, and Putin and the Russian president are taking an active part in this group’s work.
Meanwhile, summing up the results of the talks of the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Minsk, a source in the Russian delegation has told to RIA Novosti that Russia would guarantee deliveries of the preset volume of gas at the price according to the formula under the contract.
The price formula was agreed upon with the Belarusian side in December 2006. It is to be increased gradually. In 2008 the price is 67% of the market price, 80% in 2009 and 90% in 2010. “A current contract exists with a fixed price formula, and the Russian side is to provide deliveries of the planned volumes to Belarus,” the source said. As said by him, contacts on this issue would be continued.
Besides, the Russian side has confirmed readiness to give Belarus a loan on mutually beneficial terms. “Working contracts for elaborating details for offering the loan are to be continued,” the source in the delegation claims.
In late 2007, Russia and Belarus signed an intergovernmental agreement to grant Minsk a $1.5 billion stabilization loan at LIBOR+0.75 percent for 15 years with the grace period of five years. Belarus requested the loan from Russia to pay for energy supplies. The second loan of $2 billion which is under discussion now, is expected to be spent for supporting trade and payment balance of the country.
