Baltic States – CIS, Belarus, Energy, Lithuania, Port, Russia, Transport
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Tuesday, 19.03.2024, 09:22
Lithuanian PM: exporting oil products via Russia dangerous for Belarus
"Sending shipments by Russian railways via Russian ports would be
economically unviable and strategically dangerous (for Belarus), given that
these (Russian) ports freeze (in winter) and that climatic conditions are
completely different there. This is especially sensitive for oil product
shipments," he said on the Ziniu Radijas radio station on Thursday.
The comment came after Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Belarus
to direct its transit oil product shipments through Russian ports rather than
via Baltic ports.
Skvernelis noted that political decisions in countries to the east of
Lithuania "are sometimes made without taking into account economic
(interests)", adding that Lithuanian politicians would also have to make
active steps to ensure that Belarusian products continue to be transported by
Lithuanian railways through the port of Klaipeda.
Oil products are a major export item for Belarus, but also a source of
disagreement with Russia. Minsk and Moscow fail to agree on how to share
revenue from oil products made from Russian crude oil. Russia also wants to
participate in the privatization of two Belarusian crude refineries, but Minsk
seeks that the state should retain control of the companies.
During his visit to Russia's Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad on
Wednesday, Putin stepped up pressure on Belarus, saying that Russian oil
supplies must be linked to the use of Russian railways and ports in the Gulf of
Finland.
Experts say that such moves by Moscow are aimed at increasing Belarus'
dependence on Russia.
Lithuania's state railway company Lietuvos
Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways) handled a total of 28.99 million tons
of freight in January through July this year, up by 6.5% year-on-year,
including 1.224 million tons of transit oil shipments via the port of Klaipeda.