Belarus, Russia seek systemic solutions regarding Union State, EEU common energy markets in 2021 – Golovchenko

<p> MINSK, Jan 26 - PrimePress. Belarus and Russia will be working on systemic solutions regarding the common energy markets of the Belarus-Russia Union State and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) In 2021, Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko said at the meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on January 26, 2021 in Moscow. </p> <p>   </p> <p> “There are several urgent tasks we are to work on this year, including looking for systemic solutions on the common energy markets of the Union State and the EEU,” said Golovchenko. </p> <p>   </p> <p> This includes the regulation of access of products to the common market. Golovchenko believes that Belarus and Russia should have long approached the introduction of a concept of goods, products or services of the Union State and ensure traceability of goods and market transparency. </p> <p>   </p> <p> As previously reported, the governments of Belarus and Russia initialed a Union State integration program in September 2019 and approved 31 roadmaps in various areas. Draft roadmaps were expected to be coordinated by November 2020, and Lukashenko and Putin were supposed to approve the entire package of integration documents on December 8, 2019 during the events timed to the 20th anniversary of the Belarus-Russia Union Treaty of December 8, 1999. The signing of the package did not take place. Belarus said that the parties failed to reach accompanying agreements on Russian energy prices, compensation for Belarus’ losses resulted from the tax maneuver in the Russian oil industry, and removal of barriers to Belarusian commodities in the Russian market. Lukashenko said he would not endorse the roadmaps unless the above fundamental issues are finally resolved. </p> <p>   </p> <p> On December 29, 2020, Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko called the terms of Russian oil and gas supplies to Belarus in 2021 good and advantageous. He said that oil contracts for 2021 had been signed with all major suppliers. In the first quarter of 2021, Russian oil companies plan to supply 4.5 million tonnes of oil to Belarus by pipelines. Russian companies reduced oil supplies to Belarus in 2020 by 24.1% year on year to 13.35 million tonnes. In 2019, Belarus reduced the import of Russian oil by 1.4% year on year to 17.998 million tonnes. </p> <p>   </p> <p> The price of Russian natural gas for Belarus rose by 1.2% to $128.5 per 1,000 cubic meters in 2021. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Industry Minister of Belarus Piotr Parkhomchik said on January 13, 2021 that the temporary admission of Belarusian enterprises to state procurement in Russia would be extended till 2022. </p> <p>   </p> <p> The Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade (MART) of Belarus said in July 2020 that Russian government’s decree No.616 issued in late April actually bans foreign industrial products from public procurement in Russia. Products manufactured in the Eurasian Economic Union were the only exception, provided that they are put on the procurement register of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade and meet Russian legislation criteria (localization, use of domestic components, etc.). According to MART, the decree bars some Belarusian manufacturers from procurements in the Russian Federation. The EEU members are to confirm that production of goods in their territory is organized the same ways as in Russia, and verify the compliance with the localization requirements described in Decree No.719 ‘On the Confirmation of Production of Industrial Goods in the Russian Federation’ of July 17, 2015. This decree regulates the admission of goods to state procurements in Russia. End </p>

2021-01-27

Primepress