Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday that Moscow would always remain the country's key ally despite any differences and arguments that Minsk and Moscow may have
MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd February, 2019) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday that Moscow would always remain the country's key ally despite any differences and arguments that Minsk and Moscow may have.
"This [Russia] is our main ally. We will always be together regardless of how much we fight or argue with each other," the president said during his speech at the Belarusian Military academy, as quoted by the Belta news agency.
The traditionally close and friendly relations between Russia and Belarus have recently been overshadowed by Russia's so-called tax maneuver, which envisages gradual lifting of the export duty on oil and an increase in the severance tax in 2019-2024.
The move will lead to an increase in oil prices for Belarus and will automatically force Minsk to abolish its export duty on oil as well because both Russia and Belarus are a part of the Eurasian Economic Union, where the rules of a single customs area are applied.
According to Minsk, the maneuver may cost Belarus around $400 million in 2019 alone, depending on oil prices, and as many as $11 billion over the whole period.
