Today, Gazprom’s Management Committee Chairman, Alexey Miller, paid a visit to the Republic of Belarus. In Minsk, Alexey Miller met President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, and the Executive Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus, Sergey Sidorsky.

At the meeting the parties discussed the issue of Russian gas supplies to and gas transit through the Republic of Belarus in 2004. The parties agreed to continue the negotiations and sign the next year a contract between Gazprom and Beltransgaz for gas supply and transit.

The parties also reached an agreement to renew the negotiations on creating Gazprom and Beltransgaz’s joint venture that will be an integral part of the United Gas transmission System.

The negotiators paid particular attention to the Yamal-Europe project. Alexey Miller pointed out that bringing the gas pipeline on design throughput is a top priority task. In 2004, the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline throughput in Belarus will amount to 23 bcm.

Alexey Miller also underlined the progress achieved in settling Beltransgaz’s indebtedness for the previous gas supplies.

Reference

On April 12, 2002, the governments of Russia and the Republic of Belarus signed intergovernmental agreements on creating equal pricing conditions and on expanding cooperation in the gas industry. According to the first agreement, Russia is committed to supply natural gas to Belarus at wholesale prices of Russia’s fifth price zone. According to the second agreement, the Republic of Belarus, in its turn, must provide conditions for creating a joint (with Gazprom) gas transportation enterprise on the basis of Beltransgaz.

According to the present contract between Gazprom and Beltransgaz, in 2003 the former will supply 10.2 bcm of natural gas to Belarus at the prices of Russia’s fifth price zone. By November 1, Gazprom had supplied almost 8 bcm of gas to Belarusian consumers.

DIVISION OF RELATIONS WITH MASS MEDIA