By Yevgeny Pivovarov
The document has been supported by all 442 deputies who took part in voting. The Chairman of the Duma Committee for the CIS, Leonid Slutsky, tells us, “The agreement finally stipulates the pricing formula for gas supplied to Belarus. The rough edges which have existed between our countries in this sphere have been removed. Ratifying the agreement, we’ll take a step towards truly creating the Single Economic Space.”
The State Secretary and Russian Deputy Energy Minister, Yuri Sentyurin, explains that the pricing formula for gas deliveries to Belarus comprises the gas price paid by consumers in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District plus transportation and storage costs.
In 2012, the gas price for Belarus stood at $165.6 per 1,000 cubic metres. For future years, price rises will only reflect inflation, emphasises Mr. Sentyurin. He adds, “This is significantly lower than world prices.”
The agreement also stipulates procedures for calculating the cost of transporting natural gas via Beltransgas JSC pipelines — for domestic consumption and beyond.
