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Kremlin credits ‘special’ 2022 gas price for Belarus to privileges under integration deals

Based on the deal inked by the two parties, the fuel price for Minsk for 2022 was set at $128.52 per 1,000 cubic meters

MOSCOW, December 2. /TASS/. The fact that the gas price for Belarus in 2022 will be the same as in 2021 can be attributed to the privileges Minsk enjoys under the integration agreements, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"In particular, this is ensured by the signed [Union State] programs, so the special prices for Belarus are spelled out there. Of course, Belarus stands apart from other countries that purchase Russian natural gas, it definitely enjoys privileges and advantages," he pointed out.

When asked whether this means that the gas prices for Belarus are not determined solely by economics, Peskov said: "Of course. This is exactly what integration offers Belarus in this case, that is a product of advanced integration for Belarus and the Belarusian people."

On Wednesday, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and Belarusian Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich signed a protocol, which specifies the price formula for the supply of natural gas to the republic in 2022. Based on the deal inked by the two parties, the fuel price for Minsk for 2022 was set at $128.52 per 1,000 cubic meters.

At a meeting on July 13, 2021, Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus reached a deal on the gas price for Belarus in 2022. A decision was made that next year the price would not be adjusted and would remain at the 2021 level.

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