BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

09/01/2007

Energy minister uncertain about result of Russia-Belarus oil talks

MOSCOW, January 9 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko has declared that Russia and Belarus have resumed oil transit talks, but he refrained from any speculations as to what their outcome might be.

"The talks have resumed and they are in progress," Khristenko told the media on Tuesday evening. "The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade is conducting these talks and I am reluctant to make any comments on progress in settling the dispute. My reluctance is beside the point, though. It would be very wrong for me to say anything on that score. When there are the results, you will learn them from the negotiators."

Asked whether he was looking forward to the results of the talks with pessimism or optimism, Khristenko said he would not like to take the risk of scaring anybody with likely scenarios.

"Professionally I am obliged to say that the risks the oil transit situation is fraught with are very serious," he said.

"The amount of transit that has been mentioned stands at 80 million tonnes, or 1.6 million barrels. These are very large figures, indeed, and there has to be proper, professional evaluation," he explained. "There is no magic wand at hand to switch transit routes over two days' time. I really mean it."

"If no settlement is achieved in the near future, the risks will materialize. Yet, I believe in common sense. Honestly speaking, I believe there can be no situation in which common sense might fail, except for the pathological cases. But that's not my cup of tea - it's the Health Ministry's."

Source:

http://www.tass.ru/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11142120&PageNum=0