Russia cancels gas cut-off to Belarus after payment

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2007

MOSCOW (AFP) — Russia and Belarus narrowly averted another energy crisis on Friday, reaching a last-minute agreement to cancel threatened cuts in Russian gas shipments that had rattled European nerves.

Gazprom backed down from a threat to slash gas supplies by almost half to Belarus, a key energy trasit state to western Europe, after Belarus began repayment of nearly half a billion dollars in overdue debt for past supplies.

"Today Beltransgaz has made the first payment for a significant part of the debt it owes Gazprom... The decision has been made to put off a reduction in gas supplies to Belarussian consumers," Gazprom said in a statement.

Belarussian gas pipeline operator Beltransgaz told AFP it had paid 190 million dollars to Gazprom out of a total of...