MINSK, 17 December (BelTA) – The Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus has passed the bill on ratifying the Belarusian-Russian intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in shipping and transshipping oil products originating from the Republic of Belarus and intended for export to third countries via sea ports of the Russian Federation, BelTA has learned.
The agreement was signed in Moscow on 19 February 2021. The agreement specifies terms and the procedure for organizing cooperation in the field of railroad transportation through the territory of Belarus and Russia of oil products, which originate from the Republic of Belarus and are supposed to be exported to third countries, and the transshipment of these oil products via northwest sea ports of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the International Affairs and National Security Commission of the Council of the Republic Sergei Rachkov said.
In line with article 2 of the agreement the Belarusian Transport and Communications Ministry and the Russian Transport Ministry will coordinate the implementation of the agreement. The competent bodies are the Belarusian Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Ministry (in matters concerning tariffs on transportation by rail), the Belarusian state petrochemical concern Belneftekhim (in matters concerning the volume of shipment of oil products), the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service (in matters concerning tariffs on transportation by rail), and the Russian Energy Ministry (in matters concerning the choice and volumes of oil products, which are intended for shipping and transshipping).
A joint commission will be established to address issues concerning the implementation of the agreement.
Once the agreement comes into force, it will allow organizing cooperation with Russian commercial entities in shipping and transshipping oil products made in Belarus and will enable alternative routes for their export via Russian sea ports, which is particularly important in view of Western sanctions and possible restrictions on transportation transit, the senator said.
