Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 29 May (BelTA) – The Belarusian government has suggested resuming negotiations on the price for natural gas to the new Russian government, BelTA learned from Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko on 29 May.

The deputy prime minister of Belarus said that last Thursday he sent a welcome letter to Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Kozak with a request to consider the resumption of the negotiations. “We should enter a new stage of the negotiations now in order to determine the pricing formula for creating a common Eurasian electricity market and a common oil and gas market,” said Vladimir Semashko.

The deputy prime minister reminded that on 13 April 2017 Belarus and Russia signed a package of seven documents, including three intergovernmental agreements. “They have been fulfilled by and large. We resolved half of the gas problem last year. We agreed the pricing formula and set fixed prices for 2018 and 2019. This year the price stands at $129 per 1,000m3 of natural gas. Next year it will be $127 per 1,000m3 although prices for oil — and hence for gas — seem to be rising. We’ve regulated everything as far as oil is concerned. I am convinced that the modernized Belarusian oil refineries will be fully supplied with oil,” he remarked.

Vladimir Semashko took part in the opening ceremony of the Belarusian Industrial Forum in the Minsk Indoor Football Center on 29 May. He said that the industrial output growth rate reached 108.8% in January-April. “I think we will finish this year with roughly the same rate. The production sector should be developed using investments and innovations. All the conditions are available for it,” he said.

According to Vladimir Semashko, the Belarusian Industrial Forum has already proven its effectiveness. “It is a venue where specialists can exchange their opinions, demonstrate their accomplishments, and sell their R&D products at a profit. I wish fruitful contacts resulting in contracts to participants of the forum,” concluded Vladimir Semashko.

The Belarusian Industrial Forum will last through 1 June. Taking part in the forum are exhibitors from 11 countries. Five regions of Russia are represented as individual stands. The forum’s program features over 50 events. The 21^st international expo TechInnoProm is the central one. It will focus on the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0). TechInnoProm’s business program contains 23 specialized events. The large-scale ones are the plenary session “Belarus — the place of integration of the West and the East. Future development of the industrial potential of the republic”, the international symposium Technologies, Equipment, Quality, and the international applied science symposium Prospects of Development of Additive Technologies in the Republic of Belarus.