Single currency to follow single gas prices -- Ambassador Syamashka

Belarus Ambassador to Russia Uladzimir Syamashka has commented on the disputes over oil and gas that arise within the Union State.

"By the end of 2018 [Belarus and Russia] had to work out a common formula in order to reach comparable gas prices for Belarus and for consumers of Smolensk region of Russia in the future. And on July 1 this year, we we supposed to sign the corresponding intergovernmental agreement. It would have been a decisive and beneficial step on the way to the convergence of economic conditions for the enterprises of Belarus and Russia. It would allow to start solving other more complicated tasks of the Belarusian-Russian and Eurasian economic integration. We sent our proposals to the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation, Gazprom and the Russian government. We proposed different methods but have not yet received any official conclusions. A similar situation is happening with the tax maneuver. We believe that this is a violation of the Eurasian Union Treaty," the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus quotes the diplomat.

According to the diplomat, it makes no sense to solve the problems of a single customs and tax legislation, single currency and emission center until the issues of common prices for energy supplies are resolved within the Union State of Belarus and Russia.

"MAZ has to pay $278 per thousand cubic meters of gas, while KAMAZ -- $65. MAZ pays 11 cents for electricity, while KAMAZ -- no more than 4 cents. "Until we equalize the economic conditions, it's premature to say that we'll immediately solve the problem of a single customs and tax legislation, single currency, single emission center," said Ambassador of Belarus to Russia.