The Belarusian side has approved a draft roadmap with the Russian Federation on settling the situation with oil supplies and has begun its implementation, as reported to BELTA correspondent by Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Igor Lyashenko.
"Following the negotiations between myself and Russian Vice-Premier Dmitry Kozak, held on May 16 in Moscow, in accordance with our agreements, a group of Belarusian and Russian specialists discussed and prepared a draft roadmap of measures to replace substandard Russian oil within Belarus," Igor Lyashenko said. According to him, the implementation of the measures provided for by the roadmap includes ensuring raw materials for Belarusian refineries and resuming the transit transportation of Russian oil towards European states.
"Understanding the importance of this document and the need for its strict fulfillment by all parties, I proposed to approve the roadmap at the level of Vice-Premiers of our states. For our part, we have agreed on the draft roadmap and sent it to Dmitry Kozak for signing," Igor Lyashenko informed.
He stressed that the Belarusian side has already begun to implement the initial steps of the roadmap.
The Belarusian side also proposes to increase the volume of oil supply to Naftan OJSC as soon as possible. "We have also once again informed our Russian colleagues that the Belarusian side is ready to accept a larger volume of Russian oil supplied via the Nevel - Polotsk - Naftan route for processing at Naftan OJSC, and proposes to increase its supply volume as soon as possible, without linking this step to the fulfillment of other measures," Igor Lyashenko noted.
As reported, on April 19, the Belneftekhim concern announced a sharp deterioration in the quality of Russian Urals oil transiting into the main oil pipeline section of Gomeltransneft Druzhba OJSC. The content of organochlorine compounds in the oil exceeded the standard limit values by tens of times. The Druzhba oil pipeline system ensures oil supplies to Belarusian refineries and transit of oil to Europe through Belarus in two directions - via Poland and Ukraine. Clean oil arrived at the Belarusian border via the Druzhba oil pipeline on May 2.