MINSK, 10 October (BelTA) – Prime Minister of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov and Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev discussed matters concerning cooperation in the oil and gas industry over the phone, BelTA learned from Vladislav Sychevich, Press Secretary of the Belarusian head of government.
According to the source, the prime ministers of Belarus and Russia discussed the state of affairs in the oil and gas industry on 10 October. In particular, results of the relevant negotiations held by the vice premiers in Moscow on 7 October 2016 were reviewed. A draft protocol on cooperation in the oil and gas industry was agreed during the talks in Moscow.
During the conversation the sides confirmed that the natural gas Belarus buys in 2016 will be priced the way it was priced in 2015. The relevant agreement had been reached at the level of commercial entities. This is why the Belarusian side confirmed the readiness to transfer money that had been reserved since the beginning of the year to the gas suppliers. At the same time the Russian side confirmed the readiness to use the mechanism of inter-budget compensation, which will give Belarus money primarily to reduce gas prices for domestic consumers.
The money Belarus will receive thanks to the inter-budget compensation mechanism will allow the two sides to gradually bring the natural gas price that Belarusian consumers pay closer to the prices paid by Russian consumers in order to enable equal gas price conditions for energy producers by 1 July 2019 and equal gas price conditions for every other consumer by 1 January 2025.
The Belarusian side views the decision as a compromise and believes it meets interests of both sides, stressed Vladislav Sychevich.
