Minsk and Moscow fail to reach gas deal
Belarus-Russia gas negotiations conducted on September 14 were unsuccessful, adviser of the Belarusian Embassy to Russia Yury Yarashevich said.
"The negotiations between Belarusian vice PM Uladzimir Syamashka and Russian vice PM Arkadi Dvorkovich were unsuccessful. No agreement has been reached,” ria.ru quotes Yarashevich.
There were three variants of gas pricing for Belarus, vice PM Syamashka used to say. Alyaksandr Lukashenka entrusted him with reaching an agreement with Russia by September 14.
Minsk and Moscow have been unable to reach an agreement on gas supplies in the first half of 2016 for a long time. Minsk says that the prices are unfair while Moscow believes that Belarus owes money for gas. Belarus’ gas debt totals $270 million, Russian Minister for Energy Alexander Novak said in July.
Russia may cut oil supplies to Belarus in half in the first quarter of the year if the debt is not paid, vice PM Arkadi Dvorkovich said.
