Russia has summarized the results of the first month of transshipment of Belarusian oil products through its ports. The Russian Council of Ministers reports that the companies have earned about 348 million Russian rubles (about $4.6 million).
During the operational meeting of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin with the deputy prime ministers, it was reported how much the Russian side had earned by transshipment of Belarusian oil products through its ports for a month. On March 5, Mazyr Oil Refinery began transporting its products through the terminal of Portenergo at the seaport of Ust-Luga.
“In March we had an outstripping load. Revenues of Russian companies from the export of transportation services for the transportation and transshipment of Belarusian oil products in March amounted to about 348 million rubles [about $4.6 million – Belsat]. Including 142 million rubles for rail transport, 206 million rubles [$2.7 million – Belsat] for sea port terminals,” said Russian Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev.
It is also reported that Russia is discussing the transfer of other exports from the Baltic ports to the Russian ones with the Belarusian side.
The issue of redirecting exports from the Baltic States ports to Russian ports was raised against the background of the deterioration of relations between the EU and Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s regime after the election in 2020.
In August 2020, Lukashenka threatened to show Lithuania “what sanctions are.”
“I instructed the government to discuss redirection of all trade flows from Lithuanian ports to other ports. So we’ll see how they will live. Our cargo forms 30% of the Lithuanian budget flows through Lithuania. What else do they need? They are too greedy. So let’s put them in their place,” he said.
In turn, Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said that the refusal to transit goods through Lithuania’s ports would affect Belarus itself first of all.
In December, the British “subsidiary” of Belarusian oil company BNK (UK) Limited suspended the transshipment of oil products through Lithuania’s Klaipeda state port.
