Belarus lifts restrictions on gas consumption :: Charter'97 :: News

The Belarussian government lifted restrictions on the use of gas by industrial plants after Russia`s Gazprom resumed supplies on Thursday, Belarussian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky said. "The country is now working normally," Sidorsky said. "The public and social infrastructure received and will receive all the gas they need whatever the situation," he said. "We have enough gas in storage and elsewhere to provide essential services," Sidorsky said. Sidorsky said he was talking about gas from the independent supplier Trans Nafta, which was intended mainly for industrial users to keep the "industrial and technological cycle operating safely."

Regarding "complicated" talks between the Belarussian and Russian governments on the creation of a joint gas transport enterprise between Gazprom and Beltransgaz, Sidorsky said: "We have a number of approaches on which, regrettably, we are unable to reach compromises. Above all we cannot understand what Gazprom means by transferring Beltransgaz at face-value. You won`t see that anywhere in the world, Russia included. We insist on a market valuation."

But Beltransgaz welcomed a suggestion by Gazprom to select an independent valuer. This process is under way.

And Sidorsky said he agreed with Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller when the latter said that Beltransgaz would become a part of Gazprom once the joint venture has been created. "So it would be absurd if enterprises of the Gazprom system price their gas differently," Sidorsky said.

Sidorsky said Belarus ought to pay prices applicable in Russia`s fifth price zone for Russian gas. He said Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov had sympathized with that view.

"We will be discussing with Gazprom gas supply volumes and prices from Russia to Belarus," be this "gas from so-called independent suppliers or gas from Gazprom," until the joint venture has been set up, Sidorsky said.