Belarus denies Gazprom debt claims

MINSK, Belarus, June 19 (UPI) -- Belarus denied it had received official notice on late payments from Gazprom as Minsk has paid in full for its natural gas supplies, deputy officials say.

Vadim Gusyev, a spokesman at the Russian Embassy in Minsk, told RIA Novosti that Gazprom had issued a formal request to Minsk to settle outstanding debt for January through May.

He added that arrears had accumulated because Belarus had not paid the contract price of $250 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas. Gusyev said Gazprom had set a June 23 deadline for Belarus.

Eduard Tovpenets, the deputy energy minister of Belarus, denied those statements, saying his country had met its payment obligations.

"Payments have been made in full based on the average annual price of about $150 per 1,000 cubic meters, as stipulated in the high-level agreements," he said.

He added Minsk received no letter from Gazprom, the Russian energy monopoly.

Russia had offered Belarus gas in 2007 at a substantial discount provided that price would reach parity with European prices by 2011.

Both countries Thursday had settled outstanding issues on dairy production following a ban on Belarusian dairy imports.