BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

19/10/2007

Russia PM revives idea of trans-Belarus gas link

MINSK, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Russia's Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov said on Friday it would make sense to revisit a proposal to build a second gas export pipeline link to Europe through Belarus.

"It is probably expedient once again to revert to the question of constructing a second link, but to do that we will need to tally all resources," Zubkov told reporters following a meeting with his Belarussian counterpart Sergei Sidorsky.

Sidorsky told reporters he estimated construction of the link could cost $2-3 billion.

Russia's gas export monopoly Gazprom (GAZP.MM: Quote, Profile, Research) has, however, abandoned the so-called Yamal-2 link across Belarus due to low demand in Poland. It is now focusing on a project to build a Baltic subsea export line to Germany called Nord Stream.

Source:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKL196777120071019