Russian parliament vice speaker says Belarus consumes too much gas
Belarus needs to optimize its economy and to make it less energy-consuming in order to avoid gas disputes with Russia, Valery Yazev, vice speaker of the Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, said in a statement. "Now, Belarus that was an 'assembly line' in USSR, consumes nearly 20 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. This is too much for a healthy economy", Yazev is quoted as saying by nakanune.ru.
"To make a comparison, I will say that 20 billion cubic meters of natural gas are consumed in Russia by the Sverdlovsk region where steel, petrochemial, gasochemical and other heavy industries are concentrated. But, in the Sverdlovsk region, 100 cubic meters of gas costs $80, while in Belarus -- almost $200", the Russian official added.
"To make a comparison, I will say that 20 billion cubic meters of natural gas are consumed in Russia by the Sverdlovsk region where steel, petrochemial, gasochemical and other heavy industries are concentrated. But, in the Sverdlovsk region, 100 cubic meters of gas costs $80, while in Belarus -- almost $200", the Russian official added.
