Russia did not demand extra payment of $1.5 bln for solvent exports - Belarusian minister
MINSK. Nov 16 (Interfax) - During negotiations on the oil issue with Belarus, Russia did not make any demands for extra export duty payments to its budget for hydrocarbons exported from Belarus in the form of solvents, Belarusian First Deputy Economy Minister Anatoly Filonov said.
"There wasn't any talk about that at all. It was voiced in the first days of negotiations, but nobody elaborated on it. There were generally no complaints or commentary about it in the final days of negotiations," Filonov, who directly participated in these talks, told journalists in Minsk, commenting on a statement by Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak.
Novak said that Belarus had not paid $1.5-$2.5 billion to the Russian budget for exports of solvents, which are not charged export duties.
