28 Feb 2023 20:14

Russia, Belarus sign protocol on gas price formation until 2025

MOSCOW. Feb 28 (Interfax) - Russia and Belarus have signed a protocol regulating the formation of prices on Russian gas supplied to Belarus and the commodity's transportation through Belarusian territory in the period from August 1, 2022 through December 31, 2025.

Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov and his Belarusian counterpart Viktor Karankevich have signed the document, the Russian Energy Ministry said in a statement.

The two countries' energy ministers also discussed at their meeting the parallel functioning of the Russian and Belarusian power grids. At this point, the two ministries are continuing talks in a bid to agree on a protocol on some measures to ensure the parallel operations of the two countries' systems.

The ministers paid special attention to the implementation of the program for forming a single gas market of the Union State of Russia and Belarus.

"Cooperation between Russia and Belarus unfailingly remains of the strategic partnership type, it has seen many years of constructive interaction. We are maintaining permanent contact with the Belarusian side at various levels. We are working jointly to level Western sanctions in respect of Belarusian enterprises, including in the energy sector," the Russian Energy Ministry quoted Shulginov as saying at the meeting.

As reported previously, the price on Russian gas for Belarus in 2023-2025 has been agreed at the level of 2022, with payments being made in rubles. From April 2022, Belarus has been paying for Russian gas by Russian rubles. This move came after a new annual gas delivery contract envisaging the price of $128.52 per 1,000 cubic meters was signed between Russia and Belarus in late 2021.