Belarus has paid off its debt for gas to Russian gas giant
Gazprom, Russian news agencies reported Wednesday.
Belarussian gas pipeline company Beltransgaz paid Gazprom
US$56.5 million Wednesday as the last installment of its US$456.16
million debt for gas supplies in the first half of 2007, a source
in the Belarussian Energy Ministry was quoted by the Interfax news
agency as saying.
"Beltransgaz paid Gazprom US$56.5 million this morning and has
thus completely paid off its debt for gas supplies to Belarus in
the first half of the year," the source said.
Gazprom confirmed that Beltransgaz has paid its debt in full for
gas supplies in the first half of 2007.
"Gazprom hopes that the situation with the Belarus' gas debt
will not recur," the Russian company's press secretary Sergei
Kupriyanov was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.
Earlier, Belarussian officials said the country had paid in full
its gas debt to Gazprom and pledged to pay 100 percent for Russian
gas exports as of August.
"Today the republic's finance ministry made the last payment for
gas and Gazprom should receive the money," Andrei Zhukov, an aide
of the Belarussian energy minister, was quoted by Itar-Tass as
saying.
"We had to transfer the payments before Aug. 10 and we did
this," he said.
The transaction was made in compliance with a schedule between
Beltransgaz and Gazprom.
?
"After Belarus paid off its debt, it will ensure 100-percent
payment for gas supplies from Gazprom as of August," Belarussian
First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko said.
Last Wednesday, Gazprom said it would cut gas supplies to
Belarus by 45 percent as of Aug. 3 due to the debt and lack of
payment guarantees.
Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko then pledged that the
debt would be paid over the coming days, saying the country's gold
and currency reserves, a state credit from Venezuela and a credit
from Western banks would be used to pay the debt.
Last Friday, Gazprom delayed a reduction in supplies to Belarus
by one week after it confirmed that Belarus had paid a
190-million-dollar installment toward its debt.
(Xinhua News Agency August 9, 2007)
