Mayor of Minsk: Gazprom remains keen to build skyscraper and interchange

The joint projects started by Gazprom in Minsk will be finished – the traffic interchange will be built in Independence Avenue and the Gazprom skyscraper will appear in the  place that used to be occupied by the bus terminal Maskouski, Mayor of Minsk Andrei Shorats told ONT.

Gazprom was going to build a skyscraper and an interchange at the crossing of Independence Avenue and Filimonau Street. The cost of the project was supposed to exceed $120 million. The bus depot Maskousku that used to be valued as much as a historical monument was demolished because of it. However, when the construction began, discrepancies between Gazprom and Minsk City Executive Committee appeared.

Rumours about Gazprom leaving Belarus appeared at the beginning of 2015. Does it mean that the office and the interchange will not be built? Mayor of Minsk Andrei Shorats commented on it for ONT:

“The skyscraper and the interchange will be built, I see no connection between the liquidation of the company’s representative office and our joint work.”

Gazprom press secretary Andrei Kupriyanov has confirmed that the company will liquidate its representative office in Belarus. However, GazpromtransgazBelarus will fulfill its functions, he said. This is Gazprom’s daughter company.

“The daughter company will fulfill all the business functions. There is no need to have a representative office,” Kupriyanov concluded.