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Belarus, Russia come to terms on energy resources, specific prices expected within days
ST PETERSBURG, 20 December (BelTA) – Belarus and Russia have reached a conceptual agreement on energy resources. Prices will be determined within the next few days. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement while talking about his meeting with President of Russia Vladimir Putin and the discussion of the Belarusian-Russian agenda in St Petersburg on 20 December, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “Today we’ve asked heads of the working group – [First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Dmitry] Krutoi and [Russian Economic Development Minister Maksim] Oreshkin to tell us what issues had been dealt with. Naturally the most complicated issues are left to be addressed. But only the figures as far as energy resources are concerned. We’ve reached a conceptual agreement that next year Belarus will buy roughly 20 billion m3 of natural gas from the Russian Federation. There are no restrictions. We can buy even 22 billion m3. Certainly, we are going to buy 4-5 billion m3 less than that once the nuclear power plant is commissioned. This is why we’ve come to terms on the volume and we’ve agreed that we will buy 24-25 million tonnes of oil from Russia. The prices will not be higher than this year’s,” the Belarusian leader stated.
In his words, specific prices will be determined within the next few days. “The oil price will be determined within two days. I think it will take 2-3 days to define the price for natural gas. Specialists will meet in Gazprom on Tuesday and specific prices will become available. But on the whole the price will remain at this year’s level,” the president clarified.
Asked whether an additional meeting with Vladimir Putin may be required before the end of this year or early next year, Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “It is possible. We will talk over the phone soon. We have a couple of presidential matters we have to address. After that conversation if we still need to meet, we will certainly do so in any place at any time, in Russia or Belarus.”
The head of state noted the sides are satisfied with progress of the negotiations on the whole. “Everyone is pleased. Both the president of Belarus and the president of Russia. And the intergovernmental group. On the whole, we are satisfied with progress and the results,” he concluded.
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