Belarus to Start Paying Full Amount for Russian Gas

Belarus hopes to begin paying the full amount of fees for Russian natural gas supplies from July 2007, Belarus's First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko told journalists today.

He reiterated that under an agreement with Gazprom, the republic is paying 55 percent of the price of gas supplies in the first half of 2007. According to Semashko, his measure was taken in order to gradually adapt to a sharp 214-percent price hike.

In the second half of the year, when, in his opinion, the process will stabilize, the republic will start paying back all of its accumulated debt.