Belarusian, Russian deputy prime ministers discuss oil and gas cooperation
MINSK. Feb 4 (Interfax) - Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Karankevich and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak discussed cooperation between Belarus and Russia in the oil and gas sector at a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday, the Belarusian government's press office said.
"The parties discussed the process of Belarusian-Russian integration within the Union State, the prospects for trade and economic interaction, and cooperation in the oil, gas and energy sectors," it said.
Belarusian Prime Minister Alexander Turchin this week authorized Karankevich to negotiate with Russia on two draft protocols amending intergovernmental gas agreements.
In keeping with a Belarusian government resolution, the parties are discussing amendments to the intergovernmental agreement on natural gas supply terms signed in November 2011 and the related agreement on the terms of sale and purchase of shares and activities of OJSC Beltransgaz, now known as OJSC Gazprom Transgaz Belarus.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on January 22 signed an order approving as the basis for negotiations two draft protocols to amend 2011 intergovernmental gas agreements with Russia.
Former Belarusian Ambassador to Russia Alexander Rogozhnik said in early January that the terms for Russian gas supplies to Belarus in 2026 will be no worse than those previously in effect.
He said agreements were reached at the end of December at a meeting that Belarusian Prime Minister Viktor Karankevich and Gazprom Transgaz Belarus CEO Vladimir Maiorov held with the CEO of Russian gas giant Gazprom , Alexei Miller. The parties agreed that "business entities here will work in fairly comfortable conditions for themselves, some sharp increase in rates, naturally, is not expected," Rogozhnik said.
At the end of November, the Belarusian president's chief of staff, Dmitry Krutoi said that Minsk was discussing the terms of gas supplies with Russia under a three-year or five-year contract. The final terms of the new gas supply contract will be determined by the two countries' presidents, he said.
The 2022 price of gas supplies to Belarus remained in effect until the end of December 2025 under agreements reached by the Belarusian and Russian presidents in December 2022. At that time they agreed to leave the price at the 2021 level of $128.52 per 1,000 cubic meters. In April 2022, Belarus switched to paying for gas in Russian rubles.
