BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

22/08/2007

Belarus pays Russia July gas dues

MINSK, Belarus, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Belarus paid Russia in full for natural gas supplied in July, a Beltranshaz spokesman said Wednesday.

"Beltranshaz fully disbursed to Gazprom the cost of natural gas exported to that country in July in compliance with a contract," Uladzimir Chekaw told ITAR-TASS news agency.

Non-payment of gas dues became a key issue last month when Russia's gas monopolist Gazprom threatened to cut supplies to Belarus by 45 percent if the country did not pay a debt of nearly $460 million.

After talks, Gazprom agreed to abstain from the limits if Belarus paid the entire debt before Aug. 10 and transferred current payments on time. Belarus paid two-thirds of the debt, about $300 million.

Under the gas delivery contract, Belarus will pay for 55 percent of the deliveries in the first half of this year and finish paying off the remaining debt by the end of December.

The contract set the gas price at $100 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas

Source:

http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Energy/Briefing/2007/08/22/belarus_pays_russia_july_gas_dues/5834/

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