Belarus President reveals peculiarities of trade in diluting agents, solvents

MINSK, 11 December (BelTA) – Peculiarities of the trade in diluting agents and solvents were revealed as President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko answered questions of members of the Club of editors-in-chief of the CIS states, Baltic states, and Georgia, BelTA has learned.

According to the head of state, biodiesel fuel constituted a large part of Belarus’ export instead of diluting agents and solvents. The scheme involved four companies: two Russian ones, which are registered in Belarus, a Belarusian-Russian joint venture, and one Belarusian company. They bought raw materials in Russia, in particular, diesel fuel. The Russian companies were interested in it because they were paid 15-20% above the market value. After that Belarusian oil refineries processed the diesel fuel with high sulfur content. Rape oil and other components were imported from Germany to make biodiesel fuel and sell it. According to Alexander Lukashenko, the scheme was used not only with companies from Russia, but companies from Kazakhstan, too.

Alexander Lukashenko underlined that Belarus had not violated a single agreement and the Russians admit it although they are unhappy about Belarus buying a lot. For now Belarus has stopped using the scheme because Russia has responded to the scheme rather painfully. Alexander Lukashenko said: “Why are we deprived of that? Because we are smarter a bit, because we have modernized the enterprises and can do it? If it is so, then it is no free competition, no market economy, and no partnering relations”.

According to the President, members of the Single Economic Space should enjoy equal rights and capabilities. All kinds of milk, oil, and gas wars should become a thing of the past. “With the Single Economic Space papers signed, the problem [of such wars] is not so painful anymore, it has been addressed,” said the head of state.

Yet equal rights and opportunities should be extended to cover monopolies, too: “We have come close to documents on monopolies (railway, gas, oil) and we have equal access here. It satisfies the Belarusians. But if Kazakhstan wishes equal access to the monopolies – to the pipes, the infrastructure [and does not get it], they will not work together with us in the Single Economic Space and will not create this union. Equal conditions are a must. You cannot say A without saying the rest of the alphabet”.