Gazprom says talks with Belarus fail

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia said on Tuesday a new round of talks with Belarus on gas prices for 2007 had yielded no results, but Europe was safe as Moscow had stockpiled enough gas in Germany and Austria to guard against possible cuts.

Russia’s gas monopoly Gazprom said it still hoped for a deal before the New Year to allow Belarus to receive gas in 2007 and Gazprom to transit gas smoothly via the ex-Soviet state to customers in Poland and Germany.

“There was a new round of talks today with Belarus’s Deputy Prime Minister (Vladimir) Semashko. We broke up with no agreement,” Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov told Reuters.

“But we still have a chance to meet and agree before the New Year. Talks have not been suspended,” he said. Belarussian officials were not immediately available for comment.

Reuters