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If there are violations of agreements in export by Belarus of petroleum products, those responsible should be brought to account, Medvedev says

If there are violations of agreements in the export by Belarus of petroleum products, those responsible should be brought to account, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told reporters on Wednesday following a meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Belarusian-Russian Union State at the Zaslawye government residence near Minsk, BelaPAN said.

“We agreed to thoroughly sort everything out and make decisions even if they are very difficult,” Mr. Medvedev said, pointing out that “the economic interests should be restored.”

The parties agreed to take measures to “make things clear and be able to work prospectively,” said Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich.

Belarus shares Russia’s concern and suggests that a "really constructive and efficient" system be devised, he said.

Russian officials have repeatedly expressed concern about a drastic increase in the export of solvents from Belarus, saying that Belarus may actually be exporting petroleum products as “solvents” in order to avoid transferring the amount collected in export duty into the Russian treasury.