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MINSK, 12 September (BelTA) – The final agreement with the Russian side on supplies of energy resources must be secured within two days. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko set the goal as he met with Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko, BelTA has learned.

Alexander Lukashenko said: “I read your report on negotiations in Moscow without delay. I would like you to tell me in more detail how we are going to proceed from now on. Because having to deal with these problems every year saddens me. The end of the year is near while we are only starting to deal with the problem of providing the country with something it cannot live without — energy resources.”

“The problem is now being discussed far and wide. I don’t think we can allow it. People shouldn’t be worrying. It is our job to deal with these problems. However complicated it may be, we should deal with them,” stressed the head of state.

The President also reminded about his instructions to have a backup plan. “We always need an alternative option however hard things can be, including for natural gas (that is certainly more difficult) and for oil,” said Alexander Lukashenko.

The head of state noted that during the meeting at the forthcoming summit in Bishkek it may be necessary to discuss some matters concerning Belarusian-Russian relations as a whole.

Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko told media after the meeting that he had informed the President about the situation in negotiations with Russia on supplies of natural gas and oil to Belarus. “These negotiations have been going on for a long time — since late 2015. We’ve come up with several pricing schemes based on the intergovernmental agreements we signed in the previous periods,” noted the Deputy Prime Minister.

Vladimir Semashko reminded that the relevant documents regulate access to the gas transport network and natural gas pricing. The documents include the package of documents on the Eurasian Economic Union that was signed in Astana to enable equal business terms.

“Drawing from these basic documents, we have put together three possible pricing schemes for Belarus,” noted the Deputy Prime Minister.

In his words, the latter option was discussed with Russian Vice Premier Arkady Dvorkovich the previous week. “We are going to continue these talks tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Today the President has instructed me to discuss all the three possible options and choose the one that suits the two countries in an optimal manner. The President has set a very rigid timeframe: we are to sign the protocol within virtually two days including 14 September. The process can no longer be delayed. Because the delays cost us politically and economically,” said Vladimir Semashko.

The official remarked that using equal-income prices would be the most profitable option for Belarus. This approach was also part of the previously signed agreements.

The second option provides for tying prices for Belarus to domestic Russian prices with a number of conditions. The Deputy Prime Minister reminded that the Eurasian Economic Union is supposed to create a common electricity market by 1 July 2019 and a common hydrocarbons market by 1 January 2025. “The question is how we can create a common electricity market if the natural gas price that Belarusian power plants pay will be at least twice as high as that in Russia. We will be uncompetitive. We will be forced to import all the electricity we need. Meanwhile, we have invested hugely in the nuclear power plant and intend to export electricity instead,” said the Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus.

Subsidizing is the third option Russia has suggested the sides should consider.

“We will have to discuss the three options and choose the best one,” added Vladimir Semashko.