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Lukashenka wants Russian oil company Rosneft to buy Belarusian goods

 

Alyaksandr Lukashenka on Wednesday invited Russian oil company Rosneft to expand its cooperation with Belarus, in particular buy Belarusian goods.

"We are extremely interested in cooperation with Rosneft also because it is a huge empire," the presidential press office quoted him as saying at a meeting with Igor Sechin, president of the government-controlled company, in Minsk.

Mr. Lukashenka noted that Belarus did not want cooperation with Rosneft to be limited to oil refining and deliveries of petroleum products. He suggested that the company give preference to Belarusian goods while buying equipment and other products for its needs.

He referred to what he described as Belarus` successful experience of such cooperation with another Russian oil company, Lukoil.

Mr. Lukashenka expressed gratitude to the Russian executive for his opposition to possible oil supply cuts to Belarus later this year.

In August, Transneft Vice President Mikhail Barkov announced that the oil pipeline operator would supply 400,000 tons less of crude oil to Belarus than expected because of repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline.

Mr. Lukashenka revealed that he had ordered the government to find other suppliers of crude oil for the period. "There was no other way out, you cannot stop an oil refinery as it would result in huge losses. That`s why your statement came in very handy," he said.

 

Speaking in early September, Mr. Sechin emphasized the need to avoid oil supply cuts to Belarus. "We deliver crude to Belarus and refine it there," he said. "We like everything there. We expect deliveries to be according to the contract schedule. We will ask Transneft to perform deliveries to our plants. We should not have to suffer losses. Who will compensate us for them?" he said.

At the meeting with Mr. Lukashenka, the Rosneft president said that the company was interested in developing cooperation with Belarus, and noted that he had already met with Ihar Zhylin, head of the Belarusian State Petrochemical Industry Concern (Belnaftakhim).

"We are inviting Belarusian makers to bid for contracts offered by our company," he said. "We would be happy to see both equipment and foodstuffs bought from Belarus. We buy fairly much for our employees. Rosneft currently employs some 300,000 people." //BelaPAN