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Russia against unilateral revision of gas deal with Belarus — ambassador

Russia's ambassador to Minsk warns against decisions violating the effective gas deal

© EPA/TATYANA ZENKOVICH

MINSK, June 9. /TASS/. Moscow is against unilateral revision of the contract on Russian gas supply to Belarus, Russian Ambassador to Minsk Alexander Surikov said on Thursday.

"One should not attempt making a unilateral decision in violation of the effective contract," the Russian ambassador said.

"There is no common viewpoint so far," Surikov said.

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"Talks are still underway," the diplomat said.

"The way out of the disputing situation should be found on the basis of logical activities subject to existence of the contract and changed situation with hydrocarbons," the ambassador said. The contract for gas supply to Belarus is effective until January 1, 2017, he said.

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 exceeded $125 mln.

In his turn Belarusian Energy Minister Vladimir 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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