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Deputy PM says Russia expects Belarus to repay debt for gas

The sides are close to resolving the problem of Russian oil and gas supplies to Belarus and the talks regarding the issue are expected to be held this week

MOSCOW, December 8. /TASS/. Russia expects Belarus to repay its debt for gas, proposals on payment are being discussed, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich told reporters.

"The Belarusian side has sent proposals, we are discussing them. We wait for payment," he said.

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Russia and Belarus reach compromise on gas price — energy minister

The Energy Minister Vladimir Potupchik of Belarus said earlier that Belarus has submitted its proposals on resolving the existing issues in the oil and gas sector to the Russian Federation.

According to Potupchik, the sides are close to resolving the problem of Russian oil and gas supplies to the Republic and the talks regarding the issue are expected to be held this week.

On November, Russia’s Deputy Energy Minister Kirill Molodtsov said that Russia and Belarus are striving to settle the dispute on gas and oil supplies by mid-December. According to Molodtsov, the oil supply schedule for the first quarter of next year will be prepared by December 15.

As was reported in October, the two countries reached a compromise in the oil and gas dispute as they agreed an intergovernmental compensation for gas supplies to Belarus, which will ensure equal gas price conditions for energy producers by July 1, 2019 and for the rest of oil and gas consumers by January 1, 2015.

Earlier Potupchik said that Minsk would transfer the funds owing for the Russian gas on October 21. The amount owning is estimated at $281 mln. Russia pledged to restore its oil supplies volumes to Belarus, which have been reduced more than by third since July.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said in end-October that Belarus’ transfer of underpayment for gas supplies from the beginning of 2016 has to be tracked to the signing of a number of agreements and get through the Russian government meeting. According to Dvorkovich, on the back of this the Belarusian side has not yet transferred the funds.

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