Lukashenko ordered a reduction in Belarusian exports to Russia in retaliation
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko accused Russia of banning the import of Belarusian fuel.
He stated this today at the presentation of the new government, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“Look at what Russia did. She closed the border so that no one could import diesel fuel or gasoline there. Closed to imports. What is this, right? Never mind! The pandemic will write off everything,” Lukashenko said.
In retaliation, he ordered a reduction in Belarusian exports to Russia.
“The problem of the dependence of the market of one country must be solved completely. We cannot even depend 50-55% on fraternal Russia. We must diversify markets,” Lukashenko said.
As a reminder, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree suspending the import of fuel into Russia until October 1, 2020.
This measure is aimed mainly at imports of Belarusian fuel, which in April increased 200 times compared to all of last year. Belarus supplied a quarter of the fuel produced to Russia.
Increased supplies to the Russian market, which proved more profitable for Belarusian producers than the European one , were the only way to save the industry. This was especially true given that Russian producers had driven Belarusian ones out of the Ukrainian market.
Publicist Ivan Lizan notes that this is not the first regulatory measure in relations between allied states. Avoiding them, in his opinion, is possible only through more in-depth integration.
“Until the two states - Russia and Belarus - have a single tax system, governments will continue to separate their markets from each other through various restrictions. And no temporary agreements can change the main thing: friendship is friendship, and tobacco is apart,” Lizan wrote in his Telegram channel.
At the end of last year, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko refused to sign the so-called 31st map of integration with Russia, which provided for the creation of a single emission center and the unification of tax legislation.
Lukashenko ordered a reduction in Belarusian exports to Russia in retaliation.