English

Oil supply quota for Belarus may be related to “link-up projects,” Russian ambassador says

 

The amount of crude oil to be supplied to Belarus this year may depend to some extent on the implementation of “link-up projects,” Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Surikov told BelaPAN on Monday, commenting on a report by Russia’s leading newspaper Izvestiya.

According to the report, Russia will supply the 23 million tons of oil requested by Belarus if the country goes ahead with those projects.

“Although there these two issues do not have to be interlinked, it is possible that they are not entirely separate,” Mr. Surikov said. “The link-up projects were discussed earlier this month while Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Dvorkovich was staying in Belarus. The ball is rolling. If these projects are properly carried out, problems are unlikely.”

The projects are known to the general public and include the establishment of a Belarusian-Russian holding company that would control Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) and Russia’s truck company KamAZ, Mr. Surikov said. Also under consideration are projects that would involve Minsk Wheeled Tractor Plant, chemical company AAT Hrodna Azot and electronics maker AAT Intehral, he said.

Mr. Surikov said that Belarus would receive 11.5 million tons of oil in the first half of 2013 in strict accordance with agreements.

Commenting on the Belarusian government’s request for a $2-billion loan, Mr. Surikov said that Russia might provide the funds to Belarus if they were used to modernize companies involving both Belarusian and Russian capital. He made it clear that he meant the companies that would be established as a result of the link-up projects