Russia to freeze 2022 gas price for Belarus at 2021 level – Putin

<p> MINSK, Sep 9 - PrimePress. Russia will keep the price of gas supplied to Belarus in 2022 at the level of 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday following negotiations with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Putin said: “… The parties managed to reach an agreement on issues that are very sensitive for the Belarusian side, related to the pricing of Russian energy resources.” After a long discussion it became possible to work out mutually acceptable approaches to the gas issue. </p> <p>   </p> <p> “The price for Belarus for Russian natural gas for 2022 will remain at the current year's level,” said Putin. </p> <p>   </p> <p> At the same time, Putin stressed, gas prices for Belarus for 2022 will not be adjusted to the inflation rate. </p> <p>   </p> <p> According to him, a document on creating a unified gas market within the Union State will be signed before 1 Dec 2023. In addition, there are plans to sign an agreement on the unification of oil and oil products markets, as well as an agreement on a single electricity market. </p> <p>   </p> <p> In December 2020, Belarus and Russia agreed on the price of Russian natural gas in 2021 at $ 128.5 per 1,000 cubic meters. The gas price for Belarus was set at $127 per 1,000 cubic meters in 2020. Belarus annually imports about 20 billion cubic metres of gas from Russia. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Presidents of Russia and Belarus Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko agreed at their meeting held on July 13, 2021 in St. Petersburg to keep the price of Russian natural gas for Belarus in 2022 at the level of 2021. </p> <p>   </p> <p> According to the analytical report "The Union State of Belarus and Russia: Outcomes for citizens and prospects" prepared by a joint working group of experts from Belarus and Russia under the auspices of the Gromyko Association for Foreign Policy Studies, the difference between Russian gas prices for Belarus and the average price of Russian gas in Europe over the past 10 years was $20bn. </p> <p>   </p> <p> It was the disagreements over Russian energy prices, the compensation of Belarus for losses from the negative consequences of the “tax manoeuvre” in the Russian oil sector, as well as the removal of restrictions in the Russian market for Belarusian exports that prevented the signing of Union programmes and have been the subject of negotiations for the last three years. End </p>

2021-09-10

Primepress