8/02/2007

"Poland will not accept reduction in Russian gas supplies over Gazprom row with Belarus" - Finanse - Giełda - Wirtualna Polska

"Poland will not accept reduction in Russian gas supplies over Gazprom row with Belarus"

Poland is demanding that gas supply contracts with Russia's Gazprom are met in full and will not tolerate any reduction in deliveries that might result from a dispute between the gas company and transit country Belarus, Economy Minister Piotr Wozniak told a briefing Wednesday.

"We demand fulfillment of the [gas] contracts," Wozniak said. "We do not accept the possibility of a reduction or a cut off of gas supplies. We are ignoring arguments about the dispute between the two sides, which we have no influence on."

Wozniak confirmed Poland's gas monopolist PGNiG received official information from Gazprom about potential problems with gas supplies around 13.00 local time. Earlier, Poland had been notified about potential problems by the European Commission coordination group for natural gas issues.

Gazprom told Belarus that it will reduce gas supplies to the country by 45% as of August 3 because of Minsk's growing debts for shipment so far this year, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Wednesday. A source in the Belarusian Energy Ministry confirmed the move to Interfax.

The WSJ wrote that, according to a Gazprom spokesman, the company hopes that cuts to Belarus will not negatively impact gas supplies to western Europe, as they get Russian gas through the Ukrainian pipeline system. However, Poland and Lithuania may be affected as part of the gas they receive is shipped through gas pipelines in Belarus that are not under Gazprom's control.

Currently Belarus owes some USD 456 mln to Gazprom for gas deliveries after the Russians increased gas prices for Belarus to USD 100 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas in 2007.

Source:
Agencja Informacyjna Interfax



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