Russian Ministry of Economic Development Refused to Receivet Belarusian Delegation :: Charter'97 :: News

Russian-Belarusian talks on oil problem haven’t taken place in Moscow. “Russia’s negotiation position hasn’t been prepared yet,” Uladzimir Naidunou, Belarus` deputy economy minister told to Belta. As said by him, the Russian side hadn’t scheduled a time for resuming talks. Everything is to depend on the actions of the Russian side. At the moment the delegation is in the lobby of the Russian ministry of economic development and trade. The delegation is not allowed to enter, Interfax informs.

The deputy minister, speaking about the position of the Belarusian side, said that “we think that return to sharing export duty for oil is the most realistic”.

“The matter is to concern cancellation of customs duties by Russia for oil supplied to Belarus. In return we are ready to consider oil products duties transferred to state budgets of Russia and Belarus,” he explained.

Uladzimir Naidunou called illegal siphoning off oil charges against Belarus “groundless”. “The Russian side had to provide customs registration of oil transited via the Belarusian territory. It hadn’t been done,” he explained.

Commenting on the statements of Russia`s Deputy Trade and Economic Development Minister Andrei Sharonov that Moscow wouldn’t start talks until oil transit fees lifted by Belarus, Naidunou said: “It’s a very unreasonable position”. “All these questions are elaborated in the draft agreement brought by the Belarusian side,” he added. As said by U. Naidunou, the starting position for Belarus is a proposal to share oil export duties.

Moscow insists on talks only after Minsk’s reversal of customs duty on Russian oil transit.

As reported by Ekho Moskvy, Russia`s Deputy Trade and Economic Development Minister Andrei Sharonov said that talks on settling the oil row are most likely to start tomorrow.

As we have informed, plenipotentiary representative of the Belarusian government and vice-premier Andrei Kabyakou had arrived to Moscow today to settle questions on oil deliveries and transit to the West.

Photo by RBK