Russia company denies agreement on gas supply to Belarus

Source: CCTV.com | 12-31-2006 14:14

Russia gas company Gazprom has denied it agreed to supply gas to Belarus at 100 US dollars per thousand cubic meters in 2007. Gazprom warned Belarus that it had just over 24 hours to agree to its price hike, or face having its supplies cut off on New Year's Day.

A Belarussian official said his country was hoping for a new agreement by Sunday. But a spokesman for the state-controlled Russian company Gazprom said the tune of talks was not promising, and reiterated the threat to halt supplies on the first day of 2007.

Sergei Kupriyanov, Gazprom spokesman, said, "There are literally only a few hours left before the current contract expires and there is no room for delay. We are sure the Belarussian side has all the opportunity to conclude the talks before the end of the year and prevent a crisis."

Meanwhile, residents in the capital Minsk were preparing themselves on Friday for problems as a result of the dispute.

Minsk resident, said, "We have survived much worse conditions and we will survive this time. We are all against that, of course. We all want to live like all normal people live."

Gazprom is demanding the Belarus pay 105 dollars per thousand cubic meters for its gas supplies in 2007, with 75 dollars of that amount in cash and 30 dollars in shares of the Belarussian pipeline operator.

The European Union and Germany, which receive some of their Russian gas via Belarus, have urged the two sides to resolve their dispute quickly to guarantee supplies.

Editor:Du Xiaodan