Does Lukashenka go to Brazil to play football?

These days Lukashenka is to stay in Venezuela, but he plans to go to Brazil from there.

The main result of Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s visit to Venezuela named by state-run mass-media is reached agreement on oil deliveries to Belarus. Independent experts note that the reached agreement is rather doubtful.

Oil is a product which is better when it is closer to an oil refinery.

BelTA reports that according to the agreements, in May the first batch of Venezuelan oil is to be delivered to Mozyr refinery via Odessa, and after processing it is to be sold in European market. The leadership of Russia has reacted to those attempts of alternative oil deliveries already. As said by a political analyst Roman Yakovlevsky, back during the visit to Brest, Vice Premiere of Russia Igor Sechin noted that he was unaware how Belarus would get and transport oil from Venezuela. As said by Sechin, the situation with Russia looks in a completely different way: Lukoil and other large structures are working there. And as for Belarus, it is hard to comment. Raman Yakauleuski answered questions of Radio Racyja:

- In the near future Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin plans to visit Venezuela as well, are some questions related to Belarus to be considered?

- They have other interests there. It is Lukoil expansion. Venezuela has a problem as there are no oil refineries there, like in Iran by the way. And Russia with its financial resources sees promising future there.

- As for Belarusian interests in Venezuela, are they really economically feasible?

- There is no foundation, calculation in it. I think that these are inventions and plans of Munchausen. By the way, it is an interesting fact that according to different opinions and rumours, these oil wells in Venezuela are to belong to individual persons. It is very interesting who could be owners of these enterprises. However, I treat this project not exactly skeptically, but with humour.

- Venezuelan oil is rather difficult for processing in Belarus…

- Yes, it’s true, according to experts it is very “difficult”. And besides it is too far from us. In any case considering transportation costs it would be very expensive. We do not have potential and resources like Russia has for instance.

- Are deliveries through Odessa possible, like BelTA website writes?

- But no one informs about that except BelTA. It is possible that the Belarusian and Ukrainian sides would discuss that. By the way, the head of presidential administration of Belarus Uladzimir Makei was in Kyiv on a visit. So in the near future we are to expect a visit of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych to Belarus.

As for Lukashenka’s continuation of the voyage around Latin America, in particular to Brazil, Raman Yakauleuski stated to charter97.org website:

“I do not exactly know the aims of Lukashenka’s visit to South American Brazil. It hadn’t been announced for some reason. But I know for sure that people do not play ice hockey in Brazil, they play football. And the door to North America, the US and Canada, following which example ice hockey is developed in Belarus, is closed for the Belarusian leader of Belarus for reasons which are known to anyone”, the political analyst said.