MOSCOW, January 1 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's natural gas will be supplied to Belarus in the first quarter of 2008 at the price of $119 per 1,000 cubic meters, a spokesman for Russian energy giant Gazprom said on Tuesday.

Sergei Kupriyanov said that despite earlier agreements on the price of Turkmenistan's natural gas at $100 [per 1,000 cu m], Gazprom will purchase it at $130 in the first half of 2008, while Russian natural gas will be supplied to Belarus at $119 pursuant to a long-term contract.

On January 1, 2007 Russia raised the price of its gas supplies to Belarus to $100 per 1,000 cubic meters from $46.7 in 2006, which sparked an energy dispute between the two countries and triggered more accusations in Europe that Russia is using oil and gas as a political weapon.

Kupriyanov also said that Belarus had confirmed its readiness to honor all commitments on Russian natural gas transits to Europe.