Belarus will pay $164 per thousand cubic meters for Russian gas in the first quarter of 2012, said Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on November 25. According to the Russian Prime Minister, speaking at a meeting of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers, Belarus is going to reach the rates on gas equal to those in Russian in 2014.
"Belarus will receive a so-called integration discount to come up equal rates until 2014," RIA Novosti quoted Russian Prime Minister.
"Next year, with an average projected cost of about $400 per thousand cubic meters to European consumers, Belarus will pay $164 per thousand cubic meters in the first quarter," Vladimir Putin said .
"Right now, Belarus is paying $244 per thousand cubic meters. We have agreed with the Belarusian leadership to restructure payments for the next year due to the current difficult situation in the Belarusian economy," the Prime Minister of Russia said .
In addition, according to the Russian Prime Minister, Belarus is selling the remaining stake of Beltransgaz to Russia.
Gazprom has spread information that Belarus owes $136 million for natural gas to Russia.
At the same time, according to the National Statistics Committee of Belarus, on October 1, Belarus' overdue debt for gas reached Br601.8 billion (about $106.7 million at the rate of National Bank on October 1). The arrears of Belarus in foreign currency have doubled for a month.
