Belarusian authorities made concessions to Russia in “milk war”

Belarus is ready to renounce export of dry milk to Russia in the second and third quarters of the year.

RIA Novosti reports this referring to the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia.

According to minister of agriculture of Russia Elena Skrynnik, the Ministry of Agriculture has already received “an oral offer of Belarus to renounce import of powdered milk to Russia”. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, this offer is positive for Russia as it allows Russian agricultural producers to “sell Russia’s milk at adequate and acceptable prices”. “They are ready to sign this agreement,” Skrynnik said.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Russia and Belarus had agreed on renewal of dairy products delivery to Russia suspended on the decision of the Russian Agency for Health and Consumer Rights. According to him, Russian will import less powered milk but more curd and cheese. However, the Agency for Health and Consumer Rights hasn’t allowed renewing supplies, Lenta.ru reminds.

The Agency for Health and Consumer Rights imposed a ban on import of 600 types of Belarusian dairy products on June 6 as Belarusian producers failed to execute documentation in accordance with Russian regulations taken effect in December 2008. The Agency for Health and Consumer Rights said later it banned supplies of 800 more types of Belarusian dairy products to some Russian provinces.

The ban fallowed a cooldown in Moscow-Minsk relations caused by Russia’s unwillingness to give the promised $500 million loan.

On June 9, ministers of foreign affairs of Russia and Belarus said the ban on Belarusian dairy products supplies couldn’t be regarded as sanctions against Minsk. The conflict, however, reached the political level.

Alyaksandr Lukashenka called off his visit to Moscow for a session of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). It became known on June 13 that Minsk may tighten border control with Russia.

It became known on June 15 that Moscow may launch gas war against Belarus. Gazprom may make a claim against Minsk for failing to pay the gas imported. In the first quarter of the year, Belarus bought gas at the rate of average annual price of 150 dollars per 1000 cubic meters although the contracted price was 210 dollars. The reason for this was a verbal arrangement between Dmitry Medvedev and Alyaksandr Lukashenka that still remains verbal.