The Prime Ministers of Russia and Belarus will meet next week, and they may discuss the situation with the Druzhba oil pipeline, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak told journalists following a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Igor Lyashenko.
"The next meeting will be at a higher level," said Igor Lyashenko, responding to a question about when representatives of Russia and Belarus would meet again to discuss the situation with Druzhba.
"Next week we will definitely see the Prime Ministers," Dmitry Kozak said in turn.
As reported, on April 19, Belneftekhim announced a sharp deterioration in the quality of Russian Urals crude oil being transited into the section of the main oil pipeline of Gomeltransneft Druzhba OJSC. The content of organochlorine compounds in the oil exceeded the standard limits by tens of times. Both Belarusian oil refineries – Mozyr Refinery and Naftan OJSC – were forced to reduce their capacity utilisation and incurred losses. Oil meeting the standard arrived at the Belarusian border via the Druzhba oil pipeline on May 2, and on May 4, it reached the Mozyr linear production and dispatch station.