Lukashenka to ask Medvedev cheap gas and new loan

Today talks of Dmitry Medvedev and Alyaksandr Lukashenka are to take place in Moscow. The Belarusian leader hopes to agree on gas cost and new multibillion credit, “Kommersant” writes.

According to “Kommersant”, Lukashenka can receive a positive answer if he would finally recognize independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and give “Gazprom” controlling interest in “Beltransgaz”.

Ne of the most burning questions for Minks now is the unregulated problem of a new gas price. Belarus pays $127.9 per thousand cubic metres. However, according to “Kommersant”, “Gazprom”, has hinted Minsk already, than in 2009 the gas cost could reach $240. This future does not suit Minsk, as Lukashenka stated openly, confirming the intention of the Russian gas monopoly to increase the current price twofold.

As “Kommersant” has found out from Russian Foreign Ministry officials who prepared this meeting, beside the gas issue Alyaksandr Lukashenka is set to bring up the issue of offering another loan at the talks with D. Medvedev.

Earlier the Russian side agreed to give Minsk a $2 billion loan. Half of the sum was received by the Belarusian authorities in November.

“Lukashenka hope to receive about 100 billion rubles,” the newspaper informs citing sources in the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The newspaper supposes that Lukashenka has decided to bring up the financial issue because of unsuccessful negotiations on stabilization loan of $2 billion with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The IMF hasn’t still decided to give Minsk this sum, as it is dissatisfied with the fact that the Belarusian authorities do not devaluate the national currency and do not give up plans to increase salaries to public sector employees.

As Lukashenka confessed, he asked for financial help from the US too. In an interview to the state-run mass-media he said that he spoke about $5 billion. “I think $5 billion is not a problem for them,” Lukashenka said.

What Lukashenka can offer to Medvedev?

The Belarusian leader has something to offer the Russian foil both in political and economical areas, the newspaper notes. Moscow is still waiting for recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Minsk. In the beginning of autumn Alyaksandr Lukashenka said that the newly elected Belarusian parliament should do that. Two months and a half have passed from the parliamentary elections, but the promise hasn’t been fulfilled yet.

Besides, an agreement on the common air defence system hasn’t been signed between Russia and Belarus yet. This document is fully ready, and Moscow does not hide its interest in its prompt signing, especially considering the plans of Washington to deploy elements of the US missile defense shield on the territory of Europe. But the Belarusian side is in no hurry to sign the agreement, though participation of the presidents is not needed for that. The document is to be signed by Defence Ministers of the two countries. Moreover, as “Kommersant” has found out, Minsk pins signing the air defence system treaty on preferential conditions for deliveries of the Russian military equipment and placing ordered of the Russian Defence Ministry on Belarusian enterprises. Moscow is not exactly mad about these proposals. Meanwhile, absence of solution of the ABM problem allows Lukashenka bargaining on the price of his pliability.

And finally, in exchange for decrease of gas price Alyaksandr Lukashenka can agree for economic concessions to Moscow. Earlier Gazprom many times made it clear that it would be glad to increase its share in the Beltransgaz gas transportation joint enterprise. Now it is about 25%, but if Minsk would agree for the Russian monopoly to receive the controlling interest in Beltransgaz, and the pay for that could be Gazprom’s denial to increase prices.

Why Lukashenka hadn’t come to CIS summit?

Last Wednesday the Belarusian ruler called Dmitry Medvedev and agreed for a face-to-face conversation on December 22, while Lukashenka had a chance to meet with the Russian president last weekend at the informal meeting of some CIS heads in Borovoye resort near Astana which was organised by Kazakh leader Nursultan Nazarbayev. He was invited for the meeting in advance. But Lukashenka haven’t come to Kazakhstan, and instead of that went to Moscow last Sunday. He spent the whole weekend waiting for a meeting with Dmitry Medvedev.

Minsk hasn’t explained the reasons for Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s ignoring the invitation of Mr Nazarbayev. It is possible that the Belarusian leader decided not to go to Kazakhstan in order to get ready for the important meeting with Dmitry Medvedev. However, he was doing that in a peculiar way. For instance, on Friday, right on the day of the Kazakh summit opening, he was playing in Moscow for the all-star hockey team with competed with Gazprom team. Among others, Lukashenka’s competitor was deputy president of the gas monopoly Alexander Medvedev. The result of the game was unlikely to make the Belarusian president happy, the score was 5:9. It could be consolation to Lukashenka that he was called the best player of the game, though he hadn’t delivered the puck. After the match Vyacheslav Fetisov who played in the same team with Lukashenka, said: “It’s impossible to beat Gazprom”. And today the Belarusian ruler has to confirm that or to prove that wrong.