BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

23/01/2010

Belarus Says Russia Is Illegally Levying Crude Fees, Belta Says

By Rachel Graham

Jan. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Belarus accused Russia of illegally levying export duties on crude oil deliveries into Belarus, Belta reported, citing a Belarus government official.

An agreement was signed under which there was to be no levy on crude oil from Jan. 1, the Belarus news agency said, citing Alexander Shpilevsky, head of the Belarus Customs Committee. Russia has gone back on that agreement, Shpilevsky said

Russia and Belarus are in dispute over the terms of crude supply after the expiry of a 2007 deal. Russia had halted crude deliveries to Europe via the Druzhba pipeline that year after accusing Belarus of illegally siphoning crude in retaliation for a new export tax on supplies to Belarus.

Belarus serves as a transit state for Russian crude to Europe. Russia also delivers crude to refineries in Belarus. Russia's crude pipeline operator OAO Transneft said on Jan. 14 it may halt crude deliveries to the Mozyr refinery in Belarus.

Kazakhstan is ready to supply Belarus refineries with crude, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported Jan. 21 on its Web site, citing Kazakh ambassador to Belarus Anatoly Smirnov. Kazakhstan is also interested in buying into Belarus refineries, the report said.

Source:

http://georgiandaily.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16606&Itemid=65


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