Oil balance for 2013 not signed

Russia and Belarus have agreed on oil deliveries only for the second quarter of 2013.

This statement was made by Alia Samigullina, a spokeswoman for Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, ITAR-TASS reports.

“In the second quarter of the year, the volume of supplies of crude oil and petroleum products to the Republic of Belarus will be 5.75 million tonnes taking into account Belarus's expectations to get 23 million tonnes this year,” she said.

The arrangements were put on the minutes of the talks between Dvorkovich and Belarusian first deputy PM Uladzimir Syamashka.

The parties agreed on common approaches to integration projects of Russia and Belarus during the talks. The discussion was about the cooperation between Russian Electronics (State Corporation Rostec) and Integral companies, the merger of Minsk Tractor Wheel Tractor Plant into the Russian military-industrial complex, the project of Roskosmos and Peleng company.  

Dvorkovich and Syamashka ordered to look into further actions by the end of March.

The officials discussed the cooperation of EuroChem and Grodno Azot. The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Belarusian Trade Ministry are to consider the concept of setting up Rosbelavto holding company on the basis of MAZ and KAMAZ companies.

It should be reminded that at the end of 2012, Russia and Belarus failed to sign an indicative balance of oil and oil products supplies for 2013. Minsk wants 23 million tonnes of oil in 2013, while the Russian side insisted on delivering 18.5 million tonnes of oil (by pipeline and by rail). The Russian side also insists on returning 2.1 million tonnes of oil products refined from the Russian oil, but Belarus notes that fuel supplies in the western direction are more profitable.

In late December 2012, the countries agreed on shipping 5.75 million tonnes of oil in Q1 2013.