Russia’s Vice-Premier Critical of Lukashenko’s Economic Policy :: Charter'97 :: News

Vice-Premier of the Russian government Viktor Khristenko deems that the present relations between Russian oil companies and Belarus refineries don’t comply with the legislation and contradict the very “union state” idea. RIA “Novosti” reports that Khristenko said that on Thursday, commenting on the recent decision by the Belarusian authorities concerning oil supplies. Under that decision, all oil suppliers in Belarus are obliged to freely donate per every ton of fuel processed in Belarus 27 kilos of diesel fuel for the agricultural needs of the country.

According to Khristenko, relations between the petroleum companies of Russia and the oil processing companies in Belarus “contain many exclusive elements, which violate the Belarusian legislation and contradict the union economic program, oftentimes being beyond common sense.”

Such serious processes as unification of tariffs on gas, railroad transportation, energy carriers, which are currently taking place between Belarus and Russia, stressed the Russian Vice-Premier, must also spread on oil and oil processing spheres.

Khristenko added that this must first of all refer to the legislation on oil taxation in Belarus. At the moment, the concomitant law in Belarus doesn’t correspond to the Russian one, which is more preferential in this regard.

The Vice-Premier assumes that the economic ministries of Russia and Belarus have to launch serious activities in order to unify legislation and current solution of the problems that arise.

“We can’t force Russian oil tycoons to continue supplying oil to Belarus under the conditions of such exclusive decisions of the Belarusian leadership,” – underscored the Vice-Premier.