Belarus warns Russia over gas transit to Europe

MINSK/MOSCOW (Reuters) – Belarus issued an implicit threat that it could stop Russian gas deliveries through its pipelines to western Europe unless Russia’s gas monopoly Gazprom relented on demands Minsk pay steep price increases in 2007.

The threat is likely to revive unpleasant memories of gas cuts to Europe last year when Russia was locked in a similar pricing row with Ukraine. But Belarus ships smaller volumes of gas to Europe via its territory and Russia said Europe was safe as Gazprom (GAZP.MM) had stockpiled extra gas in Germany.

“We are inter-dependent. If I don’t have a domestic gas supply contract, Gazprom won’t have a transit deal,” Belarus’s Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko said at Minsk airport late on Tuesday after his return from failed talks in Moscow.

About 80 percent of Russian exports to Europe are pumped via Ukraine, with the rest going through Belarus. Russia supplies a quarter of Europe’s gas to more than 20 countries.

Reuters