BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

04/08/2007

Belarus: Russia Suspends Threat of Gas Cuts

By C. J. CHIVERS

Gazprom, the Russian natural gas monopoly that is controlled by the Kremlin, said it would not cut natural gas shipments to Belarus, signaling an end to a payment stand-off that had threatened customers downstream in Europe. The announcement was made after Belarus agreed in negotiations to pay the nearly $460 million it owed in back payments, according to Gazprom. The first payment was made yesterday, and Gazprom said Belraus had agreed to pay the balance within a week. The pricing dispute underscored anew the shifting relations between the Kremlin and Aleksandr G. Lukashenko, the Belarussian president, who has relied in part on Russian support to maintain what Western officials have called the last dictatorship in Europe.

Source:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/04/world/europe/04briefs-GAS.html

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