BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6
By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:
Delegation of the Belarusian State Concern for Oil and Chemistry (Belneftekhim Concern) will arrive in Nur-Sultan today, Feb. 6, to hold talks on Kazakhstan’s oil export to Belarus, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Igor Lyashenko said, Trend reports with reference to the press office of Belarus’ government.
Lyashenko said that the agreement on Kazakh oil and petroleum products export to Belarus is almost ready, only administrative procedures are left.
“I think that the agreement will be signed in the near future. The issue remaining is whether export will be with or without additional tax. Belarus is of course interested in absence of taxes which will allow for the price to be as close to cost of Russia's oil as possible,” Lyashenko said.
He also added that the oil will most likely be transported via pipelines.
Earlier this month, by a decree № 27, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko authorized the country’s government to carry out negotiations with Kazakhstan on the topic of trade and economic cooperation in area of oil and petroleum goods' import to Belarus, as well as on the agreement draft and its signing when it is approved.
According to Kazakhstan’s then Minister of Energy Kanat Bozumbayev, during Lukashenko’s visit to Kazakhstan in April 2019, parties signed a preliminary agreement on export of Kazakhstan’s oil and petroleum products to Belarus and on overall cooperation in the area.
As noted earlier by Asset Magauov, Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Energy, Kazakhstan is counting on signing the agreement on oil export to Belarus in the beginning of 2020.
Kazakhstan is planning to export from 1 to 3.5 million tons of oil and petroleum products a year to Belarus.
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