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Nine million tons of Venezuelan oil to be shipped to Belarus through Ukraine in 2011

Ukraine plans to secure the transit of nine million tons of Venezuelan crude oil through its territory to Belarus in 2011, Ukrainian Transport Minister Kostyantyn Yefymenko told reporters in Kyiv on September 29, BelaPAN reports.

He said that an appropriate agreement would be signed by Belarus and Ukraine soon, RBK Ukraine reported.
The minister said that Ukraine received five tankers laden with Venezuelan oil for Belarus every month.

A total of 1.5 million tons of Venezuelan crude is to be transported from Ukrainian seaports to Belarus this year, he said.

Most of the Venezuelan crude oil comes to Belarus by rail from the Odessa seaport.

Belarus is in talks with Ukraine about delivering Venezuelan oil via the Odessa-Brody pipeline, which is currently used by Russia's Transneft in the reverse direction.

Mr. Yefymenko said in August that Belarus may be allowed to operate the Odessa-Brody pipeline in the obverse direction only if it guaranteed that more than nine million tons of oil would be pumped through the pipeline every year.

Belarus has also received Venezuelan crude from seaports in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.