Belarus is evaluating the reduction in volume of its natural gas imports from Russia due to the launch of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) which is expected by the end of the year, Belarusian Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich said during the Belarusian Energy and Ecology Forum on Tuesday.
According to news agency Tass, Belarus and Russia will hold talks this week on natural gas supplies to Belarus with the aim of agreeing gas prices from 2020 onwards.
'The [gas import] volume may be lower than the volume that will be consumed this year of around 20 billion cubic meters,' Karankevich noted.
The first reactor of the Belarusian NPP, Astravets, located close to the Lithuanian border in the Hrodno region, is expected to become operational by the end of 2019.
By Talha Yavuz
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr