Lukashenka Goes to Moscow? :: Charter'97 :: News

It is possible that Alyaksandr Lukashenka would arrive to Moscow tomorrow to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin, the NTV channel informs. However, as the NTV underlines, it would happen in case concrete agreements would be reached in talks of two prime ministers over Belarusian-Russian oil and gas row.

Russian-Belarusian talks on trade, including oil deliveries and trade, have resumed in Moscow. As we have informed, a Belarusian delegation arrived to Moscow on January 9, but talks started only after the Belarusian government revoked transit duty for oil.

Belarusian Prime Minister Syarhei Sidorski, Russia’s Minister for Economic Development and Trade German Gref, deputy minister for Economic Development and Trade Vitaly Savelyev, Belarusian vice Prime Minister Andrei Kabyakou are taking part in the talks. Sidorski plans to meet with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkou.

It is expected that concrete suggestions on solving disagreements between the two countries in the framework of the single customs union, including deliveries and transit of Russian oil, are to be worked out. As said by the deputy Minister for Economic Development and Trade of Russia Andrei Sharonov, the Belarusian side planned to raise the issue of revoking export duty for Russian oil sold to Belarus.

A day before the Belarusian government held an extraordinary session, and summing up its results, Prime Minister announced that transit duty on Russian oil had been revoked.