Russian Deputy PM: Russia and Belarus failed to make progress in dispute over gas payments
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said Moscow insists that Minsk pay the full amount owed for gas that Belarus received from Russia last year, TASS reported.
According to him, no progress has been made in talks between the two countries on the matter.
"We continue talks; no progress there, the arguments remain unchanged. Settlement options are changing, but as yet we have not found mutually acceptable ones,” Dvorkovich stated.
"Anyway, we insist on full settlement of the last year's payment under the formula we had earlier," he added.
Dvorkovich estimates that Belarus owes Russia $550 million for gas delivered in 2016.
In July of last year, in the midst of negotiations on the price of gas, Russia cut gas deliveries by one third due to what Moscow called significant underpayment.
In December, Minsk made an advance payment, and expects the full volume of gas deliveries to Belarus to be restored.