BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

15/12/2006

Belarus Accuses Moscow Of Violating Trade Accords By Imposing Crude Oil Tax

Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrey Papou told journalists on December 14 that Russia's recent decision to charge a duty of some $180 per ton on crude oil exports to Belarus as of January 2007 (see "RFE/RL Newsline," December 13, 2006) violates several bilateral agreements on free trade, Belapan reported. At present, Russia supplies crude oil to Belarusian refineries without levying any customs duties. President Lukashenka is scheduled to talk with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Moscow on December 15. Russian political scientist Sergei Karaganov, head of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy think tank, told RFE/RL's Belarus Service on December 14 that the Kremlin has lost all hope that by offering economic support and preferences to Lukashenka it may persuade him to integrate Belarus closer with Russia. "It is senseless to pump Russian money into a bottomless barrel. Particularly since the Belarusian people do not receive anything from it, and the largest part of the money goes to Lukashenka's entourage and power structures. With all my respect to them, I do not think that Russia should subsidize them," Karaganov said. JM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2006/12/3-cee/cee-151206.asp