Global General

Russia cuts electricity supplies to Belarus

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-06-29 16:40

MOSCOW - Russia cut off electricity supplies to Belarus at midnight Wednesday due to Minsk's delayed debt payments, according to Russia's electricity export monopoly Inter RAO.

"As of 22:00 Moscow time (1800 GMT, June 28) no payment for electricity was made ... We confirm that from June 29, at 00:00 Moscow time (2000 GMT, June 28) we completely cut electricity supplies to Belarus," an official from the company was quoted by local media as saying.

"We are waiting for Belarus to make the next payment in the next few days," the official said.

The Belorussian power utility Belenergo stopped paying for Russian electricity supplies in March and failed to pay its debt accrued since March by a June 8 deadline.

Belenergo incurred debt because of a currency crisis which is hampering all international transactions. As of June 1, its foreign currency reserve has diminished to $200 million.

Inter RAO reduced on June 9 its supplies to Belarus and threatened to completely cut off exports on June 22. Later, the company decided to delay the full cut-off until June 28 for negotiations.

Belarus receives about 10 percent of its electricity from Russia.