Belarusian First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Krutoy said on Tuesday that Russian oil companies did not want to consider lowering the price of premiums Minsk paid for oil transit through Belarus
MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th January, 2020) Belarusian First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Krutoy said on Tuesday that Russian oil companies did not want to consider lowering the price of premiums Minsk paid for oil transit through Belarus.
"[Russian partners] do not want to budge on the price of the premiums," Krutoy said as quoted by the state-run Belta news agency.
He added that only Russia's Slavneft oil company was willing to negotiate the price.
"We are in the process of negotiating. We have sent our offers [to various oil companies]," Krutoy said.
Additionally, Krutoy said that Minsk did not think it made any sense for Moscow to retain the premium prices considering its tax maneuver.�
"[Minsk] continues to maintain the position that within the context of the implementation of Russia's tax maneuver and the annual increase in the cost of oil for Belarus through the reduction of the customs duty, it would not make sense for Belarus to pay premiums to Russian oil companies in the amount we had agreed on in 2011. Economically, this does not make sense," Krutoy said.
