BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

09/01/2007

Belarus imposes illegal "arrest" on Russian export oil - official

MOSCOW, January 8 (Itar-Tass) -- Belarus has created a force majeure situation by imposing an illegal "arrest" on Russian export oil, Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister Andrei Sharonov said on Monday.

"This endangers the implementation of international contracts between Russian companies and companies in Western and Eastern Europe," he told the television channel Vesti.

"We interpret this situation as force majeure, as an act of God," he added.

"It was after the Republic of Belarus was the first, I stress the first, to have stopped Russian oil supplies from its territory to their countries that the Russian side suspended, accordingly, supplies from Russian territory through Belarus because transit became impossible," Sharonov said.

"We, Russian companies that supply oil, will inform our Western partners about the impossibility of fulfilling our contractual obligations to them because of force majeure circumstances," he added.

Asked when negotiation might begin between Moscow and Minsk, Sharonov said, "Theoretically, negotiations may begin tomorrow. The parties agreed on this before. In this case it is important to determine the starting position. I say once again, the Russian side will insist on the unconditional abolition of the duties before the start of bilateral talks."

He believes that a decision on the negotiations may be adopted "tonight" at the level of heads of government.

"Belarus has gone the vole. It looks like a trade war," Sharonov said, commenting on the illegal siphoning of Russian oil by Belarus from the Druzhba oil pipeline.

He stressed that Russia had all the possibilities to respond to Minsk' s moves. "One should not forget that Russia is the biggest market and a number one economic partner for Belarus," the official said.

"This is why we have the possibilities to take adequate measures against Belarus and press for the abolition of the duty," Sharonov added.

Source:

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11139341&PageNum=0

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