Xinhua - English

MOSCOW, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia has set export duties on crude oil supplied to Belarus in 2007 after a three-year agreement was signed between the two governments, Russian news agencies reported on Friday.

Under the agreement, Russia cut the tax for crude oil exported to Belarus from 180 U.S. dollars, set at the beginning of the year, to 53 dollars per ton of crude oil, which had previously been given without a duty.

"In fact, we, for instance, will have 53 dollars per each ton of crude shipped to Belarus in 2007," Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency following two-day negotiations with his Belarussian counterpart Sergei Sidorsky.

The compromise was made because Belarus agreed that it will share with Russia a large proportion of its export tax on petroleum products produced from Russian crude oil.

According to Fradkov, the proportion will be 70 percent for Russia and 30 percent for Belarus in 2007, 80 percent and 20 percent in 2008, and 85 percent and 15 percent from 2009.

"As a result, the Russian budget will gain slightly more than one billion dollars this year, and the Belarussian economy will gain a considerable sum, as well," Fradkov said.

Sidorsky was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying that "we have been carefully considering the rates for the past two days and studying the possibilities of Russian companies and crude supplies to our refineries. Naturally, the interest must be mutual."

MOSCOW, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Russian oil exports to Europe via Belarus have started flowing again after a three-day hiatus amid a trade dispute between Minsk and Moscow, the Itar-Tass news agency reported early Thursday citing a Belarussian official.

Russia, Belarus move closer to deal in oil row

MOSCOW, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Belarus on Wednesday canceled a customs duty it imposed on Russian oil exports amid a dispute over oil transit between Moscow and Minsk, raising hopes the deadlock that has led to the disruption of oil flows to Europe could be resolved soon.

Moscow has tied the withdrawal of the transit duty, which was imposed after Russia slapped export duties on crude oil supplied to Belarus at the beginning of the year, to the start of any talks.

Belarus reaches compromise with Russia on oil dispute

MOSCOW, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Belarus and Russia have reached a compromise on a dispute that disrupted the flow of Russian oil to some European countries, the Belarussian president said on Wednesday.

Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin "came to a compromise, which would help settle all the problems including those connected with Russian oil transit to European states via Belarus", after talking on the telephone, news agency BelTA reported, citing the presidential press service.

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