Gazprom plans to raise Europe-bound gas exports across Belarus by about 13 percent this year after gaining control of the country's pipeline and Ukraine's threats to cut purchases.

Gazprom will increase shipments by 4 billion cubic meters this year, chief executive Alexei Miller told the Belarus energy minister, Gazprom announced Thursday. Transit shipments amounted to 31.3 bcm last year.

Miller also told German newspaper Süeddeutsche Zeitung on Thursday that EU rules designed to boost third-party participation on Russian pipes shipping gas to Europe could trigger legal steps by Russia.

(Bloomberg, Reuters)