Russian gas companies to halt deliveries to Belarus
Independent gas suppliers Itera Holding and TransNafta informed Gazprom on January 22 that the gas quantities ordered by Beltransgaz for January has been delivered in full and the Belarus company had been pumping unauthorized amounts since January 16. In view of this, independent gas suppliers will stop their deliveries to Belarus at midnight on January 24.
Gazprom stopped its deliveries to Belarus on January 1, Itera Holding and TransNafta have fulfilled their obligations for January, and no new contracts have been signed with Belarus. On January 1-21, 2004 Belarussian consumers received 1.366 billion cubic metres of Russian gas though the contractual amount to be provided by independent suppliers was 1.05 billion cubic metres.
Gazprom has recommended that Belarus sign without delay new contracts with the independent suppliers and forward them to Gazprom, to ensure the resumption of gas supplies to Belarussian consumers.
"Why should Russia be the milk cow for its partners, even if very good ones? Gazprom has been subsidizing the Belarussian economy and budget for several years, delivering gas without getting profits or anything else in return," says Gazprom deputy board chairman Alexander Ryazanov.
"Belarus is openly sabotaging the signing of the gas contract for 2004 on market conditions, though we know that the Russian government was ready to offer it a loan to make up for the difference between the market price and prices charged in the fifth zone of Russia. We should start working on common, market conditions generally used in the civilized world." //RIA-Novosti
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