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Favorable terms of Belarus-Russia oil, natural gas trade contracts emphasized

Roman Golovchenko. An archive photo

SOLIGORSK, 29 December (BelTA) – Belarus has secured favorable terms in negotiations with Russia on deliveries of oil and natural gas in 2021. Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko made the statement as he visited Belaruskali on 29 December, BelTA has learned.

The official said: “Negotiations of any kind are always accompanied by certain bargaining about the terms. But essentially everything ended on good terms that favor Belarus.”

Speaking about natural gas arrangements, Roman Golovchenko mentioned the price Belarus will pay is very comfortable and virtually on par with 2020’s. “If we talk about the current level of prices on international spot markets, Belarus buys gas virtually at half of the current world prices,” he added.

Belarus is Gazprom’s second largest European buyer of natural gas. “This is why it is quite natural that a special price is offered to a major buyer. It is a normal thing in all spheres of business,” Roman Golovchenko said.

The official said that contracts had been signed with all major oil suppliers. “Literally a handful of not so large suppliers are left. Those are purely technical issues,” he explained.

“This is why we welcome in the year 2021 in an absolutely calm manner and, we believe, on beneficial terms for Belarus as far as supplies of energy resources are concerned,” Roman Golovchenko concluded.

Asked about interbudgetary transfers in Belarus-Russia oil trade, the prime minister noted that this tool had been part of a larger package of agreements and was not supposed to last into 2021.

“The interbudgetary transfer was a one-time thing if we can call it that. It was not supposed to carry over into next years. As a matter of principle, we are moving away from any kinds of transfers in interstate relations. It is not a totally market tool,” he said.

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