MINSK, October 17. /TASS/. Russia and Belarus have fixed up all differences of principle on the creation of the single electricity market, Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Snikkars said.

"I believe that we have fixed up all differences of principle with the Republic of Belarus. I think that here the issues are more organizational as we have agreed on fundamental decisions. This is why I believe that our cooperation is very positive. We reached as much progress as possible over the past 1.5-2 years <...>. This is why we will expect the signing of international projects and implement them," he told a forum in Minsk.

A roadmap on deeper integration of the two countries’ energy systems has been adopted within the framework of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, Snikkars noted. "This is an issue of our agreements between the two countries, this is an issue of integrity, standardization, uniform rules and correct economic signals. This is why we are addressing it within the framework of the Union State and integrate the power industry’s operation rules," he added.

That said, the issue is not about lobbying the interests of this or that country, the official stressed. "Electricity cannot be stored on a commercial scale today. Electricity is a commodity that is produced sharply in the volume, which is consumed at a particular time. Accordingly, power systems of both Belarus and the Russian Federation are redundant in their essence. We also have our own nuclear power plants located in Russia’s central part. This is why if you ask whether we will stop own nuclear power plants to consume electricity produced at a Belarusian nuclear power plant, my answer is no so far," he explained.

Belarusian Energy Minister Victor Karankevich said earlier that the Union State’s program in the energy sector suggests that the integrated Russian-Belarusian electricity market will become efficient on January 1, 2024.