Minsk needs to discuss oil with Russia at highest level - source
MINSK. Nov 30 (Interfax) - Belarus and Russia did not hold government level talks on the oil balance in 2013, which Minsk expected would go ahead at the end of last week or the beginning of this week. The Belarusian negotiators hope that dialogue with Russia will continue at the highest government level, a source familiar with the situation told Interfax.
"Russia refused new negotiations at government level, noting the relevance of the oil supply volume for 2013 that was discussed on November 19-20 - 18 million tonnes. Talks are not being held now. Minsk is awaiting the results of a Belarusian-Russian meeting at the highest level," the source said.
Belarus has not changed its position: Minsk is counting on imports of 23 million tonnes of Russian oil in 2013 and confirms that it is willing to participate in the reduction of the petroleum product deficit risk on the Russian market.
Russian press reports say the Belarusian and Russian presidents, Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin, as well as other leaders of post-Soviet countries will hold four summits in December. Summits of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) and the Customs Union (CU) will take place in Moscow on December 19, and the CIS summit is due in Ashgabat on December 5.
Russia's position at talks in Moscow on November 19-20 was to limit oil shipments to Belarus next year to 18 million tonnes - 3 tonnes less that Belarus will receive in 2012 and 5 tonnes less than the republic was requesting for next year. Minsk has said the technical capabilities of Belarusian refineries were Russia's formal reason for the possible reduction in oil supplies.
Belarus experts think the real reason supplies could be limited might be because Russia believes Belarus has been exporting gasoline to European markets under the guise of solvents. Russia treats this as the re-export of Russian petroleum products that could have cost the budget $1.5 billion.