BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

03/01/2010

Russia denies cutting Belarus oil supplies

Russia on Sunday denied reports of a halt in oil supplies to Belarusian refineries, amid rising concerns over a fresh pricing dispute between the two countries.

Russian officials said Moscow had resumed talks with Minsk, just days after initial negotiations on New Year's Eve failed to arrive at a new deal for 2010.

"Transportation is carried out in full while the negotiating process is continuing," RIA Novosti news agency quoted Irina Yesipova, a spokeswoman for the energy ministry, as saying.

The assurance comes amid concern in Europe that the dispute could intensify into a repeat of the 2007 crisis, when a pricing row prompted Belarus to cut Russian oil flows to Europe via the same Druzhba oil pipeline in January.

Reuters reported earlier that two traders from major Russian oil producers announced that deliveries to Belarus refineries were halted since January 1.

Russian officials say Belarus is driving a tough bargain, asking for duty-free oil.

"They want to receive it for free, process it and then send it abroad," an official with Transneft, state operator of Russia's oil pipeline network, told AFP.

Minsk has also denied knowledge of a cut to Russian oil supplies.

Europe receives Russian oil via Belarus and through the Druzhba (friendship) pipeline - one of the world's biggest pipelines.

ZHD/MD

Source:

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=115262§ionid=351020602


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