Gazprom plans to invest up to $2.5 billion in the gas transport system of Belarus by 2020 and spend another $1.1 billion on expanding underground gas storage facilities, according to materials released by the Kremlin press service ahead of President Vladimir Putin's visit to Minsk on Thursday.

"The company plans to invest $2 billion-$2.5 billion in the development of the gas transport system of Belarus and $1.1 billion in expanding the capacity of underground gas storage facilities by 2020," the materials state.

The materials note the close nature of cooperation in the oil and gas sector between Russia and Belarus and point out that Gazprom owns the 575.5-km Belarusian section of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline.

During Putin's visit to Belarus there are plans to discuss cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, the materials state.

"A major investment project - the construction of the Belarusian NPP with capacity of 2,400 MW in Grodno region at a cost of $10 billion - has been underway since 2012. The launch of the first generating unit is scheduled for 2018 and the second for 2020," the materials state.

They also state that cooperation in the construction of the nuclear power plant includes training of skilled workers and construction of social infrastructure in the area of the plant.