Russian Ministry of Finance calculated the size of subsidies for Belarus to receive in 2011 owing to duty-free supplies of Russian oil. According to Secretary of State, Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Shatalov, it will reach up to $4 billion.
The Russian government’s representative considers the recent talks with Belarus successful, as the parties have agreed on the duty-free oil supplies to Minsk, RBC reports.
«Instead, Belarus undertakes to transfer all export oil duties to us, exported outside the Customs Union. These are serious subsidies to Belarus from Russia of about $4 billion in 2011,» Sergei Shatalov said.
According to Telegraf, the Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said on the outcome of Moscow meeting of the Interstate Council of Eurasian Economic Community on December 9 that Belarus and Russia would abolish oil duties since January 2011.
In turn, First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko said that the agreement between Minsk, Moscow and Astana on the abolition of duties on crude oil and petroleum products in the Customs Union would be of an indefinite-term character.
