Russia and Belarus at odds over debt and pricing
Gas infrastructure in Belarus. Moscow says the country owes it $125 million for gas. (Gazprom)
A new continental battleground over the pricing methodology used for Russian gas supplies has emerged this year, with netback rates and alleged unpaid import fees causing rancour in the relationship between Russia and Belarus.
Russia’s Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on the Rossiya 24 TV channel on Friday that Minsk is seeking to use the decline in European market gas prices over recent quarters to secure netback parity prices for its own imports of Russian gas.