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Minsk threatens to take gas destined for EU

The Belarusian government has threatened to start siphoning off natural gas destined for customers westward to make up for the reduction of gas deliveries to the country, Sergei Kupriyanov, spokesman for Russia's Gazprom, told reporters in Moscow on June 22, BelaPAN reports.

Gazprom cut its gas supply to Belarus by 15 percent on Monday and by 30 percent on Tuesday in a move aimed at making the country settle its $192-million debt.

"We have received a letter from [Uladzimir] Syamashka, Belarus' first vice premier, which contains no specific proposals regarding the settlement of the debt," RIA Novosti quoted Mr. Kupriyanov as saying. "And it contains a threat that the Belarusian side will take steps to take [gas] from the transit pipelines for the Belarusian economy's needs in the event of a further reduction in gas deliveries."

The spokesman warned that Gazprom would have to supply gas to EU customers via pipelines bypassing Belarus if the latter made good on its threat.

Marlene Holzner, spokesperson for the EU energy commissioner, said on Monday that the EU did not expect to be affected by the gas debt row between Belarus and Russia. Only a small proportion of Russian gas destined for the EU is supplied through the pipeline operated by Belarus' gas transport company and only one EU member state, Lithuania, would be considerably affected if Belarus made up for the reduction in its imports by passing on less gas westward, Ms. Holzner said.

If necessary, Gazprom may redirect its gas supply route from Belarus to Ukraine, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said during a board meeting held by the Russian Government on June 21. The difficulties with recovering the gas debt from Belarus mean that it is necessary to speed up the construction of an underground gas storage facility in the Kaliningrad exclave, RIA Novosti quoted Mr. Putin as saying.