Gazprom resumes full supplies, says gas dispute over
24.06.2010 (17:23) | RIA Novosti
Russia's state-controlled gas monopoly Gazprom resumed full gas supplies to Belarus on Thursday, but Minsk refuses to pass the gas on until Moscow pays for transit.Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said earlier on Thursday Belarus had settled gas supply debts of $200 million accrued since the start of the year.
He said Gazprom had resumed full gas supplies to Belarus at 10:00 Moscow time [07:00 GMT].
However, Minsk said it would suspend gas transit to the EU unless Moscow paid $260 million in transit fees.
Miller said the price is different from what the current contract stipulates.
Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said the company had paid $228 million for transit earlier on Thursday, but Belarus said it had received no payment from Russia's gas giant yet.
Belarusian First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko said Minsk would halt gas transit unless Gazprom paid $260 million in fees.
Minsk said the $228 million, although not received yet, was an advance payment, or 87% of the total owed to Belarus.
Belarus's officials said it would take up to 10 hours to resume full gas transits to the EU.
Kupriyanov said Gazprom had sent off a "large package of documents" to Minsk authorizing higher transit fees via Belarusian territory on condition of higher local gas prices to Belarus's pipeline company Beltransgaz.
EU spokeswoman Marlene Holzner said Gazprom had verbally notified the European Commission that the "gas war" between Russia and Belarus was over.
However, Holzner told reporters in Brussels, there had been no official notification.
"We have received verbal confirmation from Gazprom that the dispute has been resolved... although we do not have any official confirmation from the Russian government yet," she said.
"We understand that the flows of gas to Europe via Belarus are getting back to normal," she added.
Holzner said Lithuanian gas supplies from Russia, cut by 50% on Wednesday, have now been fully restored.
Holzner hailed the fact that Ukraine had supplied Poland with gas from its own reserves.
Gazprom reduced gas supplies to Belarus by 15% on Monday, increasing the cuts to 30% on Tuesday and then 60% on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Minsk would suspend gas transit to Europe, potentially affecting 6.25% of gas consumption by the EU.
The dispute between Russia and Belarus has erupted as Minsk has refused to pay the Russian gas price, set at $169 per 1,000 cubic meters for the first quarter of the year and $185 for the second quarter, and has been paying only $150 since January 1.
Gazprom admitted it owed money for gas transits but did not specify the amount, only saying it could not make the payments to settle the debt because Minsk had failed to issue the relevant documents.
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