MOSCOW, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Belarus' pipeline operator Beltransgas announced on Friday it had just paid 190 million U.S. dollars to a Russian gas company, in the first step to repay its huge gas debt amounting to 460 million dollars.

    Beltransgaz's first deputy general director Tsvitomir Sorokhan said the sum was transferred to Russian gas giant Gazprom at 8.30 a.m. on Friday, Interfax news agency reported.

    It is "technically impossible" to transfer the entire amount of the gas debt, almost 460 million dollars, in just one day, Sorokhan said.

    A delegation from Beltransgaz was continuing negotiations in Moscow on a timeframe for paying back the remaining debt, he added.

    Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday the debt would be paid up in full in the coming days and that the country's gold and currency reserves, a state credit from Venezuela and a credit from the Western banks would be used.

EU concerned over gas dispute between Russia, Belarus

    BRUSSELS, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) is watching nervously the gas dispute between Russia and Belarus and will call a meeting of stakeholders next week to review the natural gas supply situation. Full story

Gazprom delays gas supplies cut after confirming Belarus' debt payment

    MOSCOW, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Russian gas giant Gazprom said on Friday it would delay cuts in gas supplies to Belarus for one week, after Belarussian gas pipeline company Beltransgaz said the first tranche of its 460 million U.S. dollars debt had been paid. Full story