Belarus signs oil contracts for 2021 with Russian suppliers

Minsk, December 29 - Neftegaz.RU. Belarus has already signed oil contracts for 2021 with a number of major suppliers from Russia, Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko told the Belarus 1 TV channel, BelTA informs.

“Work is underway to sign contracts to supply oil to Belarus. Agreements have already been signed with a number of major companies to supply oil by pipeline next year. Some technicalities are being settled with some other suppliers,” Roman Golovchenko said.

The head of government expressed confidence that by the end of the year “absolutely all contracts for the supply of oil to Belarus will be signed”. “These matters are traditionally addressed in the run-up to New Year. There are no tensions this year, these matters are being dealt with as planned. We have agreed with Russian government that we will not do it at the eleventh hour,” the premier noted.

Speaking about the volume of oil refining at Belarusian refineries in 2021, Roman Golovchenko noted that it will be determined by economic feasibility. “However, the Russian side is ready to supply as much as possible. If it is profitable for us to refine 18 million tonnes, we will refine it. It will depend on the situation on the market,” he explained.

In 2020 Belarus received transfers from the Russian state budget as a compensation for the premium on the oil Belarus bought from Russian companies.

Belarusian First Deputy Finance Minister Dmitry Kiyko explained that Belarus will get 90% of this year's interbudgetary transfers in 2020. Next year Belarus will get the transfers it is owed for December 2020.