Transit of gas and oil through Belarus to be halted in 24 hours?

• 25.06.2010, 13:11

Belarus will suspend transit of Russian gas and oil if Gazprom doesn’t pay the debt for gas transiting within 24 hours, Lukashenka states.

“I warn the government again: Gazprom’s failure to pay for service in full within 24 hours must lead to the suspension of any services for the Russian Federation, involving transportation of hydrocarbons - oil and gas,” Lukashenka said at a government meeting on Friday, Interfax news agency reports.

“You have an opportunity to settle this issue, but you have only 48 hours. I told that yesterday to the prime minister and deputy prime minister,” he noted. “Perhaps, you have already come to terms, I’d like to hear your opinion on the matter,” Lukashenka said.

The ruler demanded more active work from the government to looking for new markets and sources of investments to become less dependent on Russia.

“Cooperation with China, news directions of cooperation in foreign economy and foreign trade with Venezuela, Africa, and Near East do not have just strategic meaning. This is vital for our state, for its sovereignty and independence,” Lukashenka said.

According to him, “if the problem is solved, our generation, and the next generation will have a normal life. We do not solve this, we will continue tumbling and getting kicks in the back, what is going on now.” “They will tighten the stranglehold on us so that we will be crocking. They may loosen the grip, but may not loosen it,” he noted.

As said by him: “That’s why I require that all government officials and people involved in this work should step effort in this direction.” “If someone cannot or doesn’t want, say it. Excuse me, but I suspect of this certain people, some of them are present here,” Lukashenka noted.

He stressed: “I won’t stand for sabotage and idleness. Idleness will be equated to sabotage.”