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MINSK, 26 April (BelTA) - The terms and conditions of Russian gas supply to Belarus may be discussed on the sidelines of the session of the Council of Ministers of the Belarus-Russia Union State in Mogilev on 12 May, State Secretary of the Union State Grigory Rapota told media after a meeting with Belarusian Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov on 26 April, BelTA has learned.
“Gas supply issues are discussed separately, not in the framework of the Union State. Most likely this topic will be discussed in some other format. The heads of government will have other meetings where they will discuss this issue. This mater has not been included in the agenda of the session of the Union State government,” Grigory Rapota said.
Earlier he noted that the Union State is ready to carry out an analysis of the prices of gas supplied by Gazprom to Belarus, if such need arises. According to Grigory Rapota, the Union State government will participate in the talks only if one of the parties will feel the need to formalize the issue – adopt some agreement or make adjustments.
Belarus Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov considers $80 per 1,000 cubic meters a fair price for Russian gas. Earlier, in an interview with RIA Novosti, he said: “the price for natural gas was $165 per 1,000 cubic meters at the beginning of 2014. The exchange rate of the Russian currency was RUB32-33 per 1 U.S. dollar back then. As of 1 January 2015 the gas price for us was $142, while the exchange rate was more than RUB60 per 1 U.S. dollar. It is logical that gas should cost around $80. Meanwhile we pay $142.”
