OREANDA-NEWS. Belarusian Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich and Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov signed a protocol on the pricing procedure for natural gas supplies to Minsk and its transportation, the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Energy reported on Tuesday.

"November 9, 2021, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Belarus Viktor Karankevich and Energy Minister of the Russian Federation Nikolai Shulginov signed a protocol on amendments to the agreement between the Belarusian and Russian governments on the pricing procedure for natural gas supplies to the Republic of Belarus and its transportation,"- said the press service.

The document is based on the results of a bilateral meeting of the heads of the agencies held in Moscow.

"The protocol defines the order of formation of prices for natural gas supply to Belarus in 2022. The specific level of the gas price will be fixed in a joint document with PJSC Gazprom based on the conditions of 2021,"- the press service said.

The order to sign the document was given at the beginning of November. The draft protocol on tariffs for Minsk, developed by the Ministry of Energy, has been agreed upon by the Russian government, indicating a one-year extension until December 31, 2022.

In September, as part of strengthening Russian-Belarusian integration, Moscow and Minsk agreed to form a common gas market, as well as markets for oil and oil products. Principles for the functioning and regulation of the common gas market are to be developed by July 2022; by December 2023, addenda to the Union Programme will be signed, which will define the relevant mechanisms and timetables for their implementation.