MINSK, 23 July (BelTA) – By 2010 Belarus intends to increase the capacities of underground gas storage facilities up to 4.5 billion cubic meters, said Deputy Energy Minister of Belarus Mikhail Mikhadyuk as he met with European Union reporters in Minsk on 22 July, BelTA has learnt. The planned capacities will meet demands of the EU Directive which regulates the construction of gas storage facilities, the Deputy Energy Minister noted. At present, Belarus may store 980 million cubic meters of gas in its underground gas storage facilities. The European Union reporters are supposed to stay in Belarus on a fact-finding tour till 24 July. Thirteen reporters represent mass media from Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania and the United Kingdom. The visit is supposed to get European Union citizens more familiar with the concrete projects the European Union implements in Belarus as part of the European Neighborhood Policy, said organizers of the visit.

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