Belarus-Russia negotiations on gas price are in their final stages
MINSK, November 5. /TASS/. Negotiations with Russia on the price of natural gas for Belarus are on the home stretch, Belarusian Energy Minister Denis Moroz said.
"We made significant progress during the previous three-year period and reached an agreement to fix the natural gas price for Belarus for three years. This year, that three-year term is expiring. At present, negotiations on determining the cost of natural gas for Belarus are being finalized. We expect further convergence of natural gas prices for consumers in Belarus and Russia, which in turn will lead to a convergence in the cost of electricity generated from natural gas," he said, addressing members of the House of Representatives (lower house of the National Assembly) of Belarus.
The minister recalled that the Belarusian nuclear power plant currently generates about 40% of the electricity produced in the country. "These 40% are unaffected by any external factors. That is, this is a stable and reliable source of electricity generation," he noted.
At the same time, about 60% of the country’s electricity is currently generated primarily from natural gas. According to Moroz, in the cost structure of electricity produced from this resource, natural gas accounts for 80% of the final price. "The difference in the cost of natural gas for Belarus and for Russia, in turn, determines the difference in electricity tariffs for consumers within our country and in Russia," he added.
