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Belarus marks progress in talks on gas price with Russia — minister

The next round of talks is expected to be held in Moscow this month

© Maxim Slutskiy/TASS

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Russia has no plans to give Belarus discount on gas yet — Russian energy minister

MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/. Belarus marks progress in negotiations with Russia on the price of Russian gas supplies, Belarus’ Energy Minister Vladimir Potupchik told reporters after a meeting with his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak.

The next round of talks is expected to be held in Moscow this month, he said.

"We do not owe anything to the Russian side, we do not ask for any discounts on gas. We ask for the implementation of the regulations. The issue is very delicate, we sit down and work on these issues. Today they have heard us. It makes us happy. The next meeting will be held soon. We will meet here in Moscow. Our position is absolutely clear, it is transparent. Our position has not changed. We think that the Russian side is beginning to hear us and understand what we are asking," he said.

When asked whether the new meeting will take place this month, Patupchik said: "Yes."

Earlier Russia’s Energy Minister Alexander Novak said that so far Russia is not going to grant a discount on gas price to Belarus. According to him the current price of gas for Belarus is $132 per barrel.

Novak said that Belarusian gas debt to Gazprom for four months of this year exceeds $125 mln.

In his turn Potupchik said that Minsk considers $73 per 1,000 cubic meters as a fair price for Russian gas.

According to Potupchik, the Belarusian side "is speaking not about a (gas) discount but about market-based equal-netback pricing.".

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