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Gas in Exchange for Propaganda
New problems emerged in the gas relations of Russia and Belarus during the visit of Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov to Minsk. Gazprom demands from Belarus to cancel nontax deductions to the Innovation Fund of local Energy Ministry that are also imposed on Slavneft. Belarus opposes the April growth in prices of 7 percent and requests to change the formula. Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko made clear that he would easily sacrifice gas problems to political support to Belarus, which suffers from the U.S. economic embargo.
The gas relations of Moscow and Minsk have clouded anew. Having being granted 12.5 percent in Beltransgaz, Gazprom has challenged the practice of that company’s deductions to the Innovation Fund of Belarus’ Energy Ministry. Russia’s Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov raised the problem on Friday during the sitting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State. According to Deputy Economic Development Minister Andrei Belousov, who also attended that meeting, the matter at stake is nontax deductions of roughly $70 million. Gazprom will soon get 50 percent in Beltransgaz and Russia views nontax deductions as material infringement of the RF interests.
Nontax deductions to the government’s funds of Belarus aren’t the problem of Beltransgaz alone, Russia’s Slavneft that is the holder at Mozyrsky refinery faces similar difficulty, Belousov specified. Past year, Mozyrksy refinery transferred roughly $100 million to the Innovation Fund of Belarus. At the same time, Russia wasn't particularly tough at the meeting, having confined to the mere manifestation of discontent, while the representatives of Gazprom and Slavneft didn’t take part in the negotiations.
Regardless, the bargaining about nontax deductions of Beltransgaz has begun. On the eve of Zubkov’s visit to Minsk, Belarus’ Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko urged to revise the price formula for Russia’s gas towards lowering it. The agreement that was signed at night from December 31, 2006 to January 1, 2007 spells out the grace period for Belarus en route to the market prices. So, Minsk got the discount of 33 percent in 2008, 20 percent in 2009 and 10 percent in 2010. In return, Belarus pledged to transfer 50 percent in Beltransgaz to Gazprom.
But gas is getting more expensive in Europe, and Belarus will have to pay 7 percent more in April. Minks that paid $119 per a thousand cu meters in the first quarter suggests freezing the prices at $125 per a thousand cu meters.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Mar. 24, 2008
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