Russia Set to Demand Compensation of Damage from Belarus :: Charter'97 :: News

On Wednesday, January 10, 10.30 p.m. Minsk time Russia resumed pumping oil to Europe. Belarus started again delivering oil in the point of Adamava at Belarusian-Russian border. A few hours previous to it Minsk and Moscow stated that they reached an agreement on Russian oil transit in principle. Meanwhile, the head of Transneft Semyon Vainshtok told in an interview to Interfax that Transneft is not going to drop claims to the Belarusian side, connected to transit disruption and Russian oil siphoning off. “I can say one thing. We have estimated our losses at 9 million rubles and Homel enterprise is to compensate it. We shall demand to return this money. I cannot say about further claims now,” Vainshtok said.

Oil flow resumed in a few hours after Moscow and Minsk reached an agreement in principle on Belarus’ revoking duty for Russian oil transit to Europe. It was stated by Belarusian Prime Minister Syarhei Sidorsky on January 10 after consultations of the government.

Sidorski said that the government decided to revoke the fee for oil transit, and informed the Russian foil Mikhail Fradkov about it.

Taking in consideration bilateral agreements with the Russian Federation, today the government has resolved to announce its decision on imposing state duty for oil transit via trunk oil pipelines to lose effect,” S. Sidorski said.

The press-service of the Kremlin emphasized that the telephone talk took place on initiative of the Belarusian side, Interfax informs.

Syarhei Sidorski told that he is to arrive to Moscow on Thursday, to prepare everything for Belarus and Russia to enter trade relations in the framework of the Customs Union again, “without duties and customs restrictions”.

Answering the question about the situation in talks with Belarus at the moment, the head of Trasneft Semyon Vainshtok said: “Please note that Belarusian transit duty has been revoked, while our export duty not. The negotiations are starting in these conditions”.

Vainshtok also said that though oil deliveries via Belarus trunk pipelines to Europe are is to be carried out in maximum volume, it wouldn’t be possible to follow January plan completely.

To the question whether Transneft would drop claims to the Belarusian side related to transit disruption and Russian oil siphoning off, Vainshtok said on Wednesday, January 10: ““I can say one thing. We have estimated our losses at 9 million rubles and Homel enterprise is to compensate it. We shall demand to return this money. I cannot say about further claims now”.

Interfax was told in Belneftekhim concern that Russian company Transneft demands Belarusian state oil transportation enterprise Homeltransneft to pay damages of 313 thousand dollars.

Viktor Khristenko, Russia`s Industry and Energy Minister told on January 9 that Transneft filed lawsuits against Belarus over its actions that caused Russian oil transit cutoff. On January 7 near Adamava about 80 thousand tons were seized, minister said.

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