CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February, 19, 2003
http://charter97.org/eng/news/
---------------------------------------------------------

ANTI-RUSSIAN PROTEST ACTION IN MINSK
18:23 19/02/2004, photo by ByMedia.net

According to police about 200 people took part in meeting organized on 19 of
February near Embassy of Russian Federation in Minsk. Participants of the meeting
expressed protest against decision of Russian officials to halt gas supply to
Belarus with slogans "Our relations are poisoned with gas", "No to gas war!",
"It is a kick to back of Belarusian people" and with official flags. Police did
not disperse participants of not sanctioned action, informs BelaPAN.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/19/action

---------------------------------------------------------

GAS SUPPLIES AND ITS TRANSIT THROUGH BELARUS STOPPED COMPLETELY
17:39 19/02/2004

Russias gas holding Gazprom has stopped gas supplies to Belarus. "Russia gas
supplies to Belarus stopped at 18:00," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov told
Itar-Tass. He said, "The decision has to be made by the Belarussian side." 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/19/transit

---------------------------------------------------------

BELARUS FURY AT MOSCOW IN GAS ROW
18:11 19/02/2004, AP

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko angrily assailed Russia's move to cut
off natural gas supplies to his nation and recalled Belarus' ambassador to Moscow
in the worst-ever crisis in relations between the two ex-Soviet neighbors. "This
is an act of terrorism on the highest level, when a country and a people -- not
a foreign people, but one in which Russian blood flows in half the population
-- is deprived of natural gas," Lukashenko said in comments aired on state television.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/19/moscow

---------------------------------------------------------

LUKASHENKA: BELARUS MUST AGREE TO RUSSIAN GAS PRICES
17:40 19/02/2004, RFE/RL

Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenko says his country must agree to Russian
terms of gas supplies, but will demand an increase in transit prices for deliveries
to Poland and Germany. Lukashenka made the comments today at an emergency government
meeting convened one day after Russia stopped supplying natural gas to Belarus.
Russian companies say existing contracts have expired and want to raise rates
from below-market levels. 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/19/luka

---------------------------------------------------------

BELARUS TO FACE GAS SUPPLIES CUTOFF RESULTS BY MORNING
17:37 19/02/2004

The effects of Russian natural gas supplies to Belarus are to be faced by the
morning, told Trans Nafta general director Vladimir Kondratiuk. General director
of the company Trans Nafta said that Gazprom received notification from Minsk
that state-run company Beltransgaz is not accountable for Russian gas transit
through the territory of Belarus. "It is a very risky step of the Belarusian
side. As a result of that not only heat supply to the apartment houses can be
stopped, but enterprises of continuous cycle which need constant gas supply can
also meet with problems", said Kondrtuk, ITAR-TASS informs.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/19/utro

---------------------------------------------------------

RIGID ENERGY SAVING EFFORT INTRODUCED IN COUNTRY
17:34 19/02/2004

Government of Belarus has introduced rigid economy of energy resources, said
prime minister of the country Syarhei Sidorsky. As Belarusian state-run mass
media inform, the council of Ministers regard Gazprom actions as an "unprecedented
form of pressure on Belarusian people". At the same time, Belarusian mass media
emphasize that problems with Russian gas supplies would not affect households
of Belarus. "The government will use all reserve sources, so that apartments
and social institutions stayed warm", said prime minister.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/19/rezhim

---------------------------------------------------------

RUSSIA: BELARUS HAS RIGHT TO RECALL AMBASSADORS FOR CONSULTATIONS
17:33 19/02/2004

Russia plans to take no similar steps in response to the decision made by Minsk
to recall the Belarussian ambassador from Moscow for consultations, a source
in the Russian Foreign Ministrys information and press department told ITAR-TASS
on Thursday. "It is a right of the Belarussian authorities to recall their ambassador
for consultations." "Russia plans no steps of that sort," the foreign ministry
source said. 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/19/russia

---------------------------------------------------------

GAZPROM CUTS SUPPLIES TO EUROPE
17:30 19/02/2004, By Catherine Belton and Valeria Korchagina, Moscow Times

Gazprom took the unprecedented step Wednesday of cutting all gas supplies to
Belarus and via its territory to Germany and Poland, a hardball move in a conflict
over prices and pipelines that is likely to seriously rock relations between
Moscow and Minsk.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/19/gazprom

---------------------------------------------------------

GERMANY NOT AFFECTED BY BELARUS GAS TRANSIT HALT
17:28 19/02/2004, Interfax

The suspension of gas supplies to Western Europe via Belarus has not affected
consumers in Germany or other countries, a staffer in the Moscow office of the
German gas company Wintershall told Interfax on Thursday. He believes that his
company will keep Western European consumers reliably supplied by diversifying
supply routes and using reserves in underground storage.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/19/germany

---------------------------------------------------------

INFORMATION ON "GAS" CREDIT NOT CONFIRMED
17:27 19/02/2004

Belarusian Prime Minister press secretary Yawhen Myaleshka did not confirm information
of some mass media that Belarusian government approved the project of credit
agreement with Russia amopunting to 200 million US dollars.  "The possibility
of such a credit was discussed during the session of the presidium of the Council
of Ministers of Belarus, but it is tool early to speak about it", told Yawhen
Myaleshka RIA Novosti. 
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/19/kredit

---------------------------------------------------------

HISTORY OF GAS CONFLICT
17:25 19/02/2004, "Kommersant"

In April, 2002 Russia and Belarus signed an agreement according to which Gazprom
was to supply gas to the country for the domestic price (fife price zone of Russian
Federation) (912 rubles for 1 thousand cubic meters). Not later than in June
2003 Belarus in its turn was to guarantee creation of gas transit joint venture
with Gazprom on the base of Beltransgaz. According to this agreement Russian
company was to get 50% ofBeltransgaz shares. THe joint venture was not created
by this term, Gazprom demanded to review the contract, and agreeing for supplies
at market price (about $50 per 1,000 cubic meters).
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/19/history

---------------------------------------------------------
CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February, 19, 2003
http://charter97.org/eng/news/