Moscow, Minsk Sign Deal on Belarusian Oil Products

Russia and Belarus on Friday signed an intergovernmental agreement on Belarusian oil products export through Russian seaports.

A Sputnik correspondent reported on Friday from the signing ceremony.

The document was signed in Moscow by Russian Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev and his Belarusian counterpart, Alexey Avramenko.

Under the agreement, Belarusian enterprises will be allowed to export 9.8 million tonnes of oil products, such as petroleum residue and gasoline, through Russia’s Baltic ports from 2021 to 2023.

“The agreement is signed for three years, but it is in fact unlimited, as automatic prolongation is envisioned.

Russian ports can handle transshipment of Belarusian oil products in the amount of 9.8 million tonnes,’’ Savelyev said.

The Belarusian Transport and Communications Ministry said that the country planned to import about 1.8 million tonnes of oil products through Russia’s seaports in 2021.

“The signing of the agreement on the transshipment of Belarusian oil products in Russia’s ports and the agreement on the cooperation in ensuring transport security has taken place, the annual volumes of oil products are indicative.

“This year, for instance, the transshipment of about 1.8 million tonnes of cargo is planned,’’ the ministry said.

According to the ministry, the agreement on Belarusian oil products export through Russian seaports has forged the mechanism of cooperation between Russian and Belarusian agencies.

The document also envisaged that the tariffs in Russia’s ports for the Belarusian side would be equal with the tariffs in the ports of the Baltic States.

The deal set out that the oil products would be transported to Belarus by Russia’s railway companies.