Beltranshaz shareholders, at their general meeting on March 31, voted to elect Valery Golubev, deputy chairman of Russia's gas giant Gazprom, as head of the Belarusian gas pipeline operator's supervisory board.
The board had been chaired by Uladzimir Syamashka, Belarus' deputy prime minister, before the meeting.
The shareholders also voted to increase the number of Gazprom representatives on the board from three to four and reduce the number of the Belarusian government's representatives from five to four.
The board currently includes Mr. Syamashka, as well as Natallya Zharnasek, director of the State Property Committee's State Property Fund, Energy Minister Alyaksandr Azyarets and Deputy Energy Minister Eduard Tawpyanets.
Apart from Mr. Golubev, the supervisory board now also includes three departmental heads representing Gazprom.
The shareholders also reelected Beltranshaz CEO Uladzimir Mayoraw for another term.
In late February, Gazprom paid the last $625-million installment for a 50-percent stake in the Belarusian gas pipeline company.
Under an agreement signed in Moscow on December 31, 2006, Gazprom was to acquire the 50-percent stake for $2.5 billion by June 1, 2010 to form a joint gas supply company.
A media report with reference to a Gazprom source said before the meeting that Belarus was ready to accept Mr. Golubev's candidacy for the Beltranshaz post provided the Russian company refrained from raising its gas price for the country.
