Łukašenka furious over common Belarus-Russia gas market failure

December 16, BPN. Specific steps and deadlines of the Union State program on the common gas market with Russia were “simply thwarted,” Alaksandr Łukašenka said on December 16.

“Who is responsible for it and how are we going to fix the situation?” Łukašenka’s press office quoted him as saying at a conference with officials. “I think we have one wish for the Russian side: to create equal working conditions for companies.”

Russians and Belarusians should enjoy equal prices in the energy sector as well as in other areas, he noted.

Russia still bans exports of about fifty Belarusian companies’ goods, mostly food, Łukašenka added. “I have to tell you that it is our government’s fault, too,” he said. “We may think it’s not a big deal with these small companies. . . But it shouldn’t be like that. It contradicts the ideology of our relations.”