Putin in energy talks with Belarus

MINSK, Belarus, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met his Belarusian counterpart and top energy officials in Minsk Monday to discuss energy trade, officials said Monday.

Putin met with several officials in Minsk to discuss a gas price mechanism for Russian gas supplies as well as the terms of a new loan for the Eastern European nation, RIA Novosti reported.

A 2006 contract between the countries stipulates an 80 percent price increase in 2009 in gas prices to Belarus and a 90 percent increase the following year.

The price for Belarusian imports will rise 67 percent in 2009 from its highs of around $119 per thousand cubic meters in the first quarter of 2008, though they remain some of the lowest prices among the former Soviet satellites.

Belarusian officials also are seeking to secure a $2 billion financial package from Moscow to support the countries' trade balance in the energy sector. Russia and Belarus in 2007 signed a loan guarantee for $1.5 billion.