Russian ambassador to Belarus does not expect easy gas talks
MINSK. July 25 (Interfax) - Negotiations on selling Beltransgaz and signing a gas contract for 2012 have been suspended for the period of summer vacations, Russian Ambassador to Belarus Alexander Surikov told Interfax.
"Basic agreements were reached a long time ago. The negotiations have two items: first, a commercial deal of the Gazprom acquisition of Beltransgaz, and second, the gas price set within the common economic space for the period until 2015. The negotiations may continue in the fall. It is not because the sides are not ready, it is because everyone is on vacation," he said.
The negotiations may be rather tense. "We would like to avoid another celebration of New Year's Eve at Gazprom [the gas contract for 2007 was signed at the Gazprom office two minutes before midnight on December 31, 2006]. Yet I have no illusions. I have been working here for six years, and the negotiations have been very tense every time," Surikov said.
As for disagreements, "Belarus wants a package deal. They may think that the signing of one agreement guarantees larger advantages in the second deal [in this case, the selling of Beltransgaz and the gas contract]," he said.
"The pipeline will go through Belarus even if it is owned by Russia," he said.
