Russian Ambassador: We are not disposed to increase oil deliveries to Belarus unreasonably
11- 11.06.2010, 11:46
Russia is not ready to abolish customs duties for oil and oil products at the first stage.
"We have no desire to increase oil deliveries to Belarus unreasonably," said Russian Ambassador Alexandr Surikov at a press-conference in Minsk on June 11, BelaPAN informs.
He reminded that in January 2010 Belarus and Russia signed documents on oil deliveries to Belarus. "January protocol envisages deliveries of 6.3 mln tons of Russian oil for covering 100% of domestic demand of Belarus. They are sold duty-free," the diplomat underlined.
He also noted that the protocol envisages reconsideration of this quote in September 2010 and possible increase of duty-free oil supply volumes.
As said by Surikov, from today's visit of Alyaksandr Lukashenka to Moscow "it could be expected what the Belarusian and Russian sides want". "At the first stage we are not ready to abolish customs duties for oil and oil products," the Russian ambassador said.
He underlined however that "as such, the customs duties in the customs union are an atavism" .
As said by Surikov, the both sides "should think how to this situation, forming mutually beneficial and equal conditions of doing business in this sphere". "Subsidizing one state at the expense of the other is a wrong thing. It is unpleasant for the one who pays and for the one who recieves it is unpleasant and somewhat humiliating," the Russian ambassador stated.
The Russian Ambassador also believes that a possible creation of the Customs union of Russia and Kazakhstan without Belarus threatens to the customs constituent of the "union state" of Belarus and Russia.
"It threatens the customs aspect of the union state. We engage the third state. The customs union of Russia and Kazakhstan come into conflict with that," Surikov said.
Commenting on the conditions of the Belarusian side which is ready to join the Custosm union of the three states only under a condition of lifted export duties for oil and oil products imposed by Russia in early 2010, the ambassador underlined that "I do not see serious faults in that still -- we have given to Belarus duty-free 6.3 mln tons for domestic demand, and the volume which is re-exported though oil refining is supplied with a duty".
