BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

06.23.2005, 11:37 AM

Belarus unlikely to sign gas deal with Russia before July 1

MINSK (AFX) - Belarusian Energy Minister Eduard Tovpenets said yesterday that his department is unlikely to sign a gas supply contract with Russia for 2006 before July 1, as demanded by the cabinet, BelaPAN reported.

'The negotiations got underway, but they have come across big difficulties,' Tovpenets said at a news conference in Minsk.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on May 23 that Russia should sell energy resources at free market prices to Georgia, Ukraine and all other countries except for Belarus.

'Belarus is an exception because we are trying to find ways of building a union state with that country,' Mr. Putin reportedly said at a meeting with the Komsomolskaya Pravda editorial staff.

Source:

http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2005/06/23/afx2108363.html


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