Belarus will pay for Russian natural gas in two weeks, the country's first deputy prime minister said Monday.
"We expect that within two weeks we will find the opportunity," Vladimir Semashko said. "We will borrow, but we will pay for the gas."
"We are not hiding that we have difficulty with currency," he added. "We have to borrow."
Belarus has refused to pay higher prices this year, which increased to $169 per 1,000 cubic meters for the first quarter and $185 for the second quarter, and has continued to pay last year's rate of $150 instead.
Russian energy giant Gazprom had started cutting gas supplies to Belarus over the debt, which has reached $200 million. The cuts will gradually rise from 15% to 85% of daily supply.
MINSK, June 21 (RIA Novosti)
