December 30, 2006	Saturday	Zilhaj 08, 1427

MINSK, Dec 29: Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko vowed on Friday that his government would not “yield to Russia’s blackmail” over the price of gas that Moscow supplies to its neighbour.

“Belarus has no intention of yielding to Russia’s gas blackmail,” Lukashenko said on national radio, less than three days before the expiry of an ultimatum to accept higher prices or see supplies cut off.

“If this blackmail continues, we will take shelter in bunkers but we will not give in.”

Lukashenko’s warning was the latest in a series of threats and counter-threats flying between Minsk and Moscow since Russia’s state gas monopoly Gazprom announced a steep increase in prices it would charge for gas to the ex-Soviet republic.

Indeed, the word “blackmail” has been used before -- by Gazprom vice-president Alexander Medvedev who accused Belarus of “grotesque blackmail” for threatening to disrupt Russian gas deliveries.

Sandwiched between Russia and the European Union, Belarus threatens to retaliate to the gas hike by refusing to allow the transit of Russian gas to Europe, potentially hitting supplies to Germany, Lithuania and Poland. —AFP