Russia, Belarus gas firms merge

MINSK – Russian gas giant Gazprom will form a joint venture with Belarus’s state gas company, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday after meeting his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, in an sign of easing energy tensions between the neighbours.

“Gazprom and Beltransgaz will form a 50-50 joint venture,” hopefully before the New Year, Putin told journalists after talks on the sidelines of a summit of ex-Soviet states in Minsk. But despite the promise of an agreement that would likely significantly ease recent tensions between the traditional allies, Putin admitted that all the details have not yet been ironed out.”The concrete parameters of these agreements should be decided on the expert, corporate level.I hope this will be done in the near future, definitely before the New Year,” he said.In recent months a proposed hike in the price of gas delivered from Russia has alarmed Belarus, which is deeply dependent on Russian economic support, including subsidized energy.In September, Lukashenko threatened he would cut all ties with Russia if it went ahead with a fourfold increase in the price of gas deliveries from US$46 to US$200 per 1 000 cubic meters.Nampa-AFPBut despite the promise of an agreement that would likely significantly ease recent tensions between the traditional allies, Putin admitted that all the details have not yet been ironed out.”The concrete parameters of these agreements should be decided on the expert, corporate level.I hope this will be done in the near future, definitely before the New Year,” he said.In recent months a proposed hike in the price of gas delivered from Russia has alarmed Belarus, which is deeply dependent on Russian economic support, including subsidized energy.In September, Lukashenko threatened he would cut all ties with Russia if it went ahead with a fourfold increase in the price of gas deliveries from US$46 to US$200 per 1 000 cubic meters.Nampa-AFP