Contents tagged with Belarus

  • Lukashenko: Russia is 'engulfed with coronavirus'

    "Russia is engulfed with coronavirus. The situation in Belarus is calm," said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko commenting on Moscow's decision to close the border with Belarus because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    "So, who should be isolated from whom. The question is rhetorical," the Belarusian news agency BELTA quoted Lukashenko as saying.

    "There are a lot of challenges. You see: the world is crazy about coronavirus or maybe based on all the speculations on coronavirus. But for us, …

  • Russia closes its borders with Belarus

    Russia is closing its borders with Belarus for passenger traffic because of coronavirus pandemic, said Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, as quoted  by TASS.

    "We have also decided to close the border with Belarus, we have taken a number of other pre-emptive steps," he said. "We will continue to do everything to protect our country from this new threat, to act ahead of time, to take exhaustive measures to prevent, first of all, mass spread of coronavirus."

    According to World Health …

  • Belarus refuses to ‘integrate’ with Russia until oil issues are resolved

    There is no point in working on road maps for Belarus' integration with Russia until the oil issues are resolved, stated the Foreign Minister of Belarus Vladimir Makei, as cited by BelTA.

    "Let's first solve the issue with oil supplies, and then we will continue to think," Makei suggested.

    Earlier, Russian and Belarusian presidents Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko decided to create an intergovernmental working group on the development of integration. It was planned that 31 roadmaps …

  • Lukashenko: Belarus ready to integrate with Russia, but without coercion

    Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that the country is ready for real integration with Russia, but without coercion.

    “We remain, as always, committed to real integration, without coercion to integrate. And it’s strange that this began with Belarus being coerced to integrate. You understand what I’m referring to,” said Lukashenko during a meeting with Mikhail Myasnikovich, Chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission College, as cited by BelTA.

    He pointed out that even with Boris …

  • Belarus to receive first batch of oil from Azerbaijan

    In March, Belarus will receive its first batch of oil from Azerbaijan – 160,000 tons.

    When Russia failed to reach an agreement with its “brother Belarus” on oil prices, it essentially lost this market, and gave Minsk an opportunity to select suppliers independently. As a result, Belarus has been receiving deliveries of black gold from other countries since January, eliminating Rosneft’s monopoly.

    In January, Belarus received its first batch of Norwegian oil through the Lithuanian port of …

  • Russia to pay Belarus more than $60 million for dirty oil

    Russia and Belarus have signed a protocol on compensation for the dirty oil which ended up in the Druzhba pipeline in spring 2019, based on a calculation of $15 per barrel, said Vladimir Sizov, deputy head of the Belarusian state oil concern Belneftekhim, as cited by BelTA.

    The compensation rate applies to 563,000 tons of dirty oil that was processed by the Mozyr refinery, Belneftekhim spokesperson Alexander Tishchenko explained to RBC. In this way, Belarus could receive $61.6 million from …

  • Ukrainian foreign minister predicts war between Russia and Belarus, warns Belarus not to expect help from the West

    Russia and Belarus could end up at war with each other, because Moscow cannot let Minsk pursue an independent policy, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko told the Czech newspaper Respekt in an interview.

    “A few years ago I spoke to a few Belarusian journalists, and when I told them officially that if they want to remain independent, they will face the same war, the same difficulties and the same suffering as us, they did not believe me. Perhaps now they doubt less,” said Prystaiko.

    “Of …

  • Lukashenko refuses to ‘kneel before Putin every New Year’s Eve’

    Belarus will continue to diversify oil purchases from other countries even if it costs more than buying Russian oil, said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at a meeting with the staff of the Svetlogorsk Pulp and Board Plant.

    The Belarusian President explained that he was ready to pay more "so that, every year on December 31, not to kneel" before Putin.

    "It shouldn't be like this, and it won't be," he said.

    The Belarusian president also spoke about the pressure of Putin, who wants the …

  • Belarus to buy Russian oil at global market prices

    First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Dmitry Krutoy, commenting on the talks held in Sochi on February 7, said that the Belarusian oil refineries will buy oil from Russia at global market prices.

    "If we talk about the agreement on oil, the oil market, the Russian side agreed that Belarusian refineries will buy oil under agreement with Russian oil companies at prices that are set on the global market,"  said Krutoy as cited by  Belta news agency.

    Minsk intends to continue working with all …

  • Lukashenko: Belarus to repay Russia $1 billion per year on old loans

    Belarus will pay Russia $1 billion per year for previous loans and will not ask for “any money at all”, and proposes “honest, transparent and sincere” bilateral cooperation, said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, as cited by BelTA.

    The US pays Russia “1.5% for keeping their foreign currency there” but Belarus pays 4-6%, Lukashenko explained: “This just couldn’t make us happier – paying Russia $1 billion per year. They’ve invested their money successfully.”

    The president remarked that …