1. Le vocabulaire • row [Br] : dispute, querelle • to come to a head [problème] : arriver au point critique • collapse : effondrement, écroulement • reliant on : dépendant de
• feed : alimentation • run : faire marcher, faire fonctionner
• power station : centrale électrique • deprive of : priver de • divert : dévier 2. Le texte A row between the Belarus government and Moscow over payments for gas exports has come to a head. Moscow says it can no longer provide energy at a subsidised price as it did before the collapse of Communism.
The former Soviet republic is greatly reliant on Russia for its natural gas feed without which it cannot run its industry and power stations.
Gas also passes through pipelines in Belarus to other countries including Ukraine, Poland and Germany, but alternative routes are available. The Russians have been reducing supplies in the last few weeks and now the feed has been completely cut. The company that did that is Trans Nafta.
Their Director General, Vladimir Kondrachuk, said: "It will be a disaster. Especially if the Ukraine is deprived of the gas that is transported through Belorus' pipelines. That is if we can't divert it. It will badly hit the country's industry, particularly steel and glass making."
The Belarussian government has now said it is ready for talks about borrowing money from Moscow to pay for energy at higher rates. |
