Russia does not want even to discuss oil duties abolition

• 17.06.2010, 13:07

Belarusian Vice Prime Minister has arrived to St Petersburg, but he was not able to discuss challenging issues.

Belarus and Russia have not brought together their positions on the issue of oil and oil products duties. It has been stated by Vice Prime Minister of Belarus Andrei Kabyakou on June 17 in St Petersburg, where the International economic forum is held. “Everything is on the same positions so far,” RIA Novosti quoted Kabyakou as saying.

Vice Prime Minister has also stated that the issue of export duties for oil and oil products is not planned to by discussed in the framework of the Commission of the Customs Union in St Petersburg on June 18.

We remind that Minsk demands Moscow to abolish export duties for oil and oil products. Such a suit of the Belarusian Justice Ministry to the Russian government is at the moment considered by the Economic Court of the CIS.

Belarus directly connects abolition of the duties for oil and oil products with its participation in the Customs Union. On July 1 the Customs Code of the Customs Union of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan is to come into force; however the Belarusian side still has not signed the necessary package of documents. As a result, Russia and Kazakhstan have agreed to enforce the Customs Code on the bilateral basis.