Brussels, 22/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - As part of a trade dispute with Russia over non-payment of bills (see EUROPE 10164), the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, announced on Tuesday 22 June that he was cutting off the Russian gas supply network to the EU that runs through Belarus. He announced on Belarus television that he had ordered his government to cut off the Russian gas pipelines until Russian gas giant Gazprom pays its overdue gas transport bills. On Monday 21 June, Russia put into action its threat to reduce Russian gas exports to Belarus because Belarus had not paid its Russian gas import bills. Each country is calling for payment of nearly 200 million dollars-worth of unpaid bills. Gazprom cut its gas supplies to Belarus by 15% on Monday, with a further 30% reduction on Tuesday and is threatening to reduce supplies to 85% if agreement is not reached. On behalf of the EU (some 20% of whose Russian gas imports travel through Belarus), the European Commission called on the two countries on Tuesday to respect their contractual duties. If Belarus cuts off all the Russian gas pipelines running through its country, then the Commission says that Lithuania would be the worst affected EU member state. Poland and Germany could also be affected, but not as directly. (E.H./transl.fl)