Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 3 February (BelTA) – Belarus has not violated a single agreement with Russia. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko made the relevant statement as he met with representatives of the general public, Belarusian and foreign mass media on 3 February, BelTA has learned.

“We have not violated a single agreement with Russia,” said the Belarusian head of state.

The Russian side is a different story. Belarus and Russia reached an agreement that Belarus will be getting 24 million tonnes of oil every year. “Then the deliveries were reduced to 18 million tonnes. Then Russia seemed to be willing to sell 16 million tonnes. Now they say they will sell only 12 million tonnes,” said the President.

Speaking about negotiations on the price Belarus pays for Russian natural gas, Alexander Lukashenko reminded that in 2016 Belarus paid $107 per 1,000m3 although Belarus was supposed to pay $83 taking into account the equal-income pricing formula and the decreased oil prices on international markets. The previously agreed price for Belarus was $132.77 per 1,000m3. Alexander Lukashenko noted that according to Russian calculations Belarus had failed to pay extra $550 million based on the price of $132.77 per 1,000m3. Russia wants Belarus to pay up now. “And things are in a dead end now,” noted the head of state. According to the President, the Russian leadership have come up with different ways of addressing the situation but the problem remains unresolved for now.