Spokesmen for two Baltic nations expressed surprise on Thursday at threats from the Russian fuel and energy minister to cut off oil shipments unless the former Soviet republics settle their debts.


Viktor Chernomyrdin has threatened to stop the flow of Russian oil to the Baltic states and Georgia by Monday unless the countries paid off their bills to Russia, according to Interfax.


But embassy spokesmen for Latvia and Lithuania told The Moscow Times that they had not heard the report. They also said they were surprised at the tone of the statements.


"What does it have to do with us? " Cherniavsk Antanas, of the Lithuanian Embassy in Moscow, asked. "Lithuania always transfers what it owes directly into the Central Bank".


And Alexander Vektiarov, a spokesman for the Russian Fuel and Energy Ministry, downplayed the report on Thursday, saying that while the debt problem was "colossal", oil shipments would continue whether the debts were paid or not.


Speaking to Russian oil producers Wednesday, Chernomyrdin said countries that owe Russia for oil imports had until Monday to make good on all their debts or face the possibility that their supplies will be cut off.


He said that following instructions from Boris Yeltsin, all future oil shipments to the newly independent countries would have to be paid for in advance.


Chernomyrdin said that the Russian fuel and energy complex was owed more than $2 billion for its oil - mostly by former Soviet republics, but some by Russian consumers as well.