MINSK (Sputnik) — Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko said on February 16 that a protocol on Russian gas deliveries had been agreed on and submitted to Moscow for consideration, although his Russian counterpart Arkady Dvorkovich said some differences remained.
"Negotiators had informed authorities of their countries about each other’s negotiating positions. The next steps depend on political will," Potupchik said, adding the bill for Belarusian energy companies was twice that of what their Russian counterparts paid.
Russia and Belarus have been locked in a row over gas prices since early 2016. Moscow says Minsk owes it $281 million for gas. Belarus refuses to pay off the debt, which is one of Russia’s main conditions for restoring oil supplies to their pre-2016 level.
