Russia, Belarus agree oil trade terms

Russia: Russia and Belarus agreed on Wednesday the terms for Russian long-term oil export and transportation through Belarusian territory, without affecting the national economic interests or the local companies.

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev met on Wednesday with Vice Prime Minister Igor Sechin, who led the Russian side in the final negotiation round with Belarus and presented details of the agreement reached.

Sechin asserted that the amendments to the agreement on January, 2007 for the oil export tariff regime were approved.

Besides, they signed a long-term agreement to avoid unilateral upwards trends and a joint statement with Belarusian Vice Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko, Sechin said.

Previously, Russia had proposed to increase the taxes on the oil exported to Belarus, and that country responded, announcing an increase in the tariffs for transportation through Druzhba oil pipeline to $45 a ton, almost 10 times more than the previous price.

Medvedev clarified that attaining success in the negotiations had nothing to do with some kind of concession to the detriment of our interests or those of the national businesspeople, and it is good that this is taken as the grounds for future negotiations, he recommended.

Moscow, Prensa Latina