Moscow--24Jun2010/803 am EDT/1203 GMT
Russian gas giant Gazprom initiated measures Thursday to restore full
natural gas supplies to Belarus and made a $228 million payment to Belarus
pipeline company Beltransgaz for gas transit via the country after receiving
confirmation that Minsk had paid its debt, Gazprom's special representative
Sergei Kupriyanov said at a press conference in Moscow.
"This morning Gazprom received confirmation of [payment] from Beltransgaz
that covers the debt owed for January-April and, based on that, the decision
was made, starting at 10:00 am [Moscow time, 06:00 GMT], to begin the process
of restoring gas to Belarus consumers in full," Kupriyanov said.
However Belarus deputy prime minister Vladimir Semashko said Thursday
that the country would limit gas transit to Europe via Belarus if Gazprom did
not pay a remaining sum of $32 million.
"If there's no official confirmation that Gazprom has paid off the debt
completely, we'll impose limitations [on gas transit via Belarus]," the
Russian Prime-Tass news agency quoted the deputy prime minister as saying.
"We'll wait for two more hours," he said, which would have put the
deadline at 13:00 Minsk time.
The difference between the sum Gazprom paid and Belarus demanded was
based on a disagreement over the rate for gas transit, Kupriyanov said, adding
that Gazprom and Beltransgaz considered a proposal that would have raised
transit rates but was never approved.
"The [$228 million] payment was made based on the contract, which
stipulates a rate for transit of $1.45 [per 1,000 cubic meters per 100 km],"
Kupriyanov said.
The payment was for November-December of 2009 and the first months of
2010, he said.
Kupriyanov said that Belarus considered it as an advance payment based on
a new proposed but not approved transit rate of $1.88/1,000 cu m for 2010 and
wanted Gazprom to pay the balance.
He added that Belarus's possible actions to disrupt the supplies would be
"illegal," as the changes to the rate have not yet been enforced.
Kupriyanov confirmed that Gazprom received a $187 million payment from
Beltransgaz for gas supplies in the first four months of 2010. Gazprom has
said that Belarus owes it $192 million for the supply of gas in January-April.
Kupriyanov said the price structure for Beltransgaz's gas supplies from
Russia includes components connected to the rate for gas transport via Belarus
territory. He added that Beltransgaz used a transit rate of $1.88/1,000 cu
m/100 km for this, which accounts for the difference between the amount paid
and what Gazprom had said was owed.
He said Gazprom wouldn't immediately request that Belarus pay the
difference and would instead wait until the transit rate has been agreed.
Early Thursday, Gazprom submitted documents fixing the new transit rate
for 2010 to be signed by Beltransgaz's leadership, Kupriyanov said.
"A series of open questions remain concerning the relationship between
Beltransgaz and Gazprom, and we will work on them," he added.
Russian gas giant Gazprom initiated measures Thursday to restore full
natural gas supplies to Belarus and made a $228 million payment to Belarus
pipeline company Beltransgaz for gas transit via the country after receiving
confirmation that Minsk had paid its debt, Gazprom's special representative
Sergei Kupriyanov said at a press conference in Moscow.
"This morning Gazprom received confirmation of [payment] from Beltransgaz
that covers the debt owed for January-April and, based on that, the decision
was made, starting at 10:00 am [Moscow time, 06:00 GMT], to begin the process
of restoring gas to Belarus consumers in full," Kupriyanov said.
However Belarus deputy prime minister Vladimir Semashko said Thursday
that the country would limit gas transit to Europe via Belarus if Gazprom did
not pay a remaining sum of $32 million.
"If there's no official confirmation that Gazprom has paid off the debt
completely, we'll impose limitations [on gas transit via Belarus]," the
Russian Prime-Tass news agency quoted the deputy prime minister as saying.
"We'll wait for two more hours," he said, which would have put the
deadline at 13:00 Minsk time.
The difference between the sum Gazprom paid and Belarus demanded was
based on a disagreement over the rate for gas transit, Kupriyanov said, adding
that Gazprom and Beltransgaz considered a proposal that would have raised
transit rates but was never approved.
"The [$228 million] payment was made based on the contract, which
stipulates a rate for transit of $1.45 [per 1,000 cubic meters per 100 km],"
Kupriyanov said.
The payment was for November-December of 2009 and the first months of
2010, he said.
Kupriyanov said that Belarus considered it as an advance payment based on
a new proposed but not approved transit rate of $1.88/1,000 cu m for 2010 and
wanted Gazprom to pay the balance.
He added that Belarus's possible actions to disrupt the supplies would be
"illegal," as the changes to the rate have not yet been enforced.
Kupriyanov confirmed that Gazprom received a $187 million payment from
Beltransgaz for gas supplies in the first four months of 2010. Gazprom has
said that Belarus owes it $192 million for the supply of gas in January-April.
Kupriyanov said the price structure for Beltransgaz's gas supplies from
Russia includes components connected to the rate for gas transport via Belarus
territory. He added that Beltransgaz used a transit rate of $1.88/1,000 cu
m/100 km for this, which accounts for the difference between the amount paid
and what Gazprom had said was owed.
He said Gazprom wouldn't immediately request that Belarus pay the
difference and would instead wait until the transit rate has been agreed.
Early Thursday, Gazprom submitted documents fixing the new transit rate
for 2010 to be signed by Beltransgaz's leadership, Kupriyanov said.
"A series of open questions remain concerning the relationship between
Beltransgaz and Gazprom, and we will work on them," he added.
