23 Sep 2011 20:04

Lukashenko invites Gazprom to buy stakes in other Belarusian companies in addition to Beltransgaz

MINSK. Sept 23 (Interfax) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has suggested that Russia's Gazprom consider the purchase of stakes in a number of Belarusian enterprises in addition to buying 50% in its gas transportation monopoly Beltransgaz.

"We talked about the need for us to expand cooperation with Gazprom a very long time ago, even before you came to Gazprom," Lukashenko said at a meeting with Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller in Minsk on Friday.

"Some interesting projects were in the offing," Lukashenko said, suggesting that they should be discussed now.

"There are enough projects for discussion, like those in which gas could serve as a raw material for producing goods, and not only those based on natural gas," Lukashenko said.