Business news

MINSK, 4 December (BelTA) – Chairman of the Belarusian petrochemical concern Belneftekhim Igor Lyashenko held negotiations with a delegation of the Russian oil company OAO NK Rosneft in Minsk, Belneftekhim’s press service told BelTA after the meeting.

According to the source, ways to further improve the effectiveness of cooperation between Belarusian oil refineries and the Russian companies that supply oil to Belarus were discussed.

The Rosneft delegation was led by Otabek Karimov, the company’s Vice President, Director of the Production Planning, Supply and Logistics Department.

Earlier BelTA quoted Belneftekhim’s representatives as saying that negotiations on terms of Russian oil deliveries to Belarus in 2016 are expected to be finished in December. According to the source, this week Belneftekhim and the Belarusian oil refineries continue yearly negotiations with the Russian oil companies that supply oil to the Belarusian oil refineries for the sake of discussing terms of next year’s deliveries. The negotiations with the oil companies are proceeding in a productive manner.

Recently commenting on mass media reports of Belarus suggesting a revision of the oil pricing formula to Russian suppliers, Vladimir Semashko noted that there are grounds for discussing the price for the oil Belarus buys. “The prices have plunged. There are reasons for discussing at what prices oil should be supplied and bought. A working group has been set up, it is carrying out an analysis,” noted the Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus. Among other people the group includes representatives of Lukoil, Surgutneftegas, Gazpromneft, Rosneft and Belneftekhim.

BelTA reported earlier that Belarus and Russia have agreed that the former will get 24 million tonnes of oil in 2016 or 1 million tonnes more than in 2015. The entire volume is supposed to be delivered via pipelines. According to the indicative fuel and energy trade figures, in 2015 Russia will supply 23 million tonnes of oil to Belarus, including 22 million tonnes via pipeline transport.