“Beltransgaz” refuses to pay debt to “Gazprom”

• 22.06.2009, 11:31

“Beltransgaz”joint stock company states that it will continue to pay average annual price for Russian gas deliveries.

“Beltransgaz” is to continue paying for gas in the same regime as it was before. We are paying the way we used to pay. “Beltransgaz” does not have debts to “Gazprom”, said a representative of “Beltransgaz” to “Interfax” agency.

“No other document is needed than an agreement at the highest level, the level of the presidents of Russia and Belarus. It was publicly stated by the Russian president about the agreement that Belarus would pay the average annual price, and that it should be an action plan for all,” a “Beltransgaz” representative noted, commenting on the statement of a representative of the Russian embassy to Belarus that “Gazprom” demands $230 mln debt payment from “Beltransgaz”.

He also underlined that “Gazprom” hadn’t publicly presented claims to “Beltransgaz” concerning payment for gas for January-April period. “I know nothing about any official claims of “Gazprom”, the interlocutor added.

As said by him, “we will pay $150 per 1,000 cubic metres for the whole year, as we have agreed upon with the Russian side”.

He has also noted that in quarters III and IV the contracted price for gas would be much lower that the factual payment, which would compensate for the situation of the first quarter, when contracted price exceeded the average annual price.

As we have informed, on June 18 Andrei Kuznetsov, counsellor for economic affairs at the Russian embassy to Belarus, stated that “Gazprom” sent a letter to Beltransgaz demanding payment for gas supplies in January-April. He explained that the sum is the difference between the contracted price of supplies in January-April and de-facto payments by the Belarusian side. As said by him, the debt was not including penalties and fines for not utilizing the contracted gas volumes amounts, but the penalties would be demanded as well.