MINSK, November 30. /TASS/. The Energy Ministries of Belarus and Russia agreed on action plans for implementing union programs related to common gas and electricity markets, Belarusian Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich said.

"The energy ministries of Belarus and Russia have been agreed on action plans for their implementation. A transnational agreement on forming a unified electricity market is in the making. Specialized organizations are hammering out details on arrangements for collaborative efforts, interaction conditions for sellers and buyers of electricity, infrastructure development matters," the energy minister said in an interview with the Respublika newspaper. According to him, the main objective of these documents is to create equal conditions for business entities, boost the competitiveness of the countries’ economies, and better the well-being of citizens.

The Belarusian energy chief recalled that on November 9, a protocol was signed on amending the intergovernmental agreement on setting prices for natural gas. "The protocol determines the procedure for setting prices for the supply of natural gas to Belarus in 2022. The specific level of gas prices will be set in a joint document with Gazprom, based on the conditions of 2021," he said.

Karankevich added that cooperation with Russia will also focus on the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant. He recalled that on November 4, at the meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State, the heads of state signed a decree approving 28 union programs, one of which concerns nuclear energy. According to him, within the framework of these programs, Moscow and Minsk plan to put together an intergovernmental deal on managing the NPP’s spent nuclear fuel for signing by July 1, 2022. "A draft intergovernmental agreement on the management of spent nuclear fuel of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is being prepared with specialists from Russia. The document is poised to be signed by July 1, 2022," Karankevich said. The minister also recalled that earlier an intergovernmental agreement was inked between Russia and Belarus on the transportation of nuclear materials.