Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Belarus

Belarus To Increase Transit Tariffs For Russian Oil

The Russian oil terminal at Primorsk, near St. Petersburg (ITAR-TASS)

February 6, 2007 -- Belarus has announced it will sharply increase transit tariffs for Russian oil this month.

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February 06, 2007

The Economy Ministry said that as of February 15, oil-transit tariffs will range from $1.29 to $3.50 per metric ton for every 100 kilometers. That's up from the current range of $0.41 to $0.60.

Relations between Russia and Belarus have been strained recently because of disputes over gas and oil prices.

A previous attempt by Minsk to impose new fees on the shipment of Russian oil across Belarus led last month to a disruption in Russian oil supplies to Western Europe.

Semyon Vainshtok, the president of Russia's state pipeline monopoly, Transneft, said the company on February 5 approved a plan for a pipeline from a point near the Russian-Belarusian border to Primorsk on the Baltic Sea, bypassing Belarus.

(compiled from agency reports)

Russia And Belarus

The main Moscow-Minsk railway line(Tass)

TO MERGE OR NOT TO MERGE: For over a decade, Moscow and Minsk have been working on a project to form a single state, the Russia-Belarus Union. However, every time the two countries seem on the verge of making progress, one or the other steps back, leaving the entire effort in doubt.

Putin, Lukashenka Press Ahead With Unification

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Tensions Remain In Putin-Lukashenka Talks

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RFE/RL's coverage of Belarus. RFE/RL's coverage of Russia.

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