Minsk highly appreciated Ukraine's assistance in the supply of oil alternative to Russian
Despite Ukraine’s non-recognition of the results of the presidential elections in Belarus, the cancellation of the visit of President Vladimir Zelensky and the forum of regions of the two countries, official Minsk intends to maintain programs to support exports to Ukraine.
The Belarusian Ambassador to Kyiv, Igor Sokol, stated this in an interview with the publication "Ukraine Business", reports a correspondent for "PolitNavigator".
“I consider it important to inform you that on September 3, the President of the Republic of Belarus adopted Decree No. 333, which extended the validity of the export support program until 2022 inclusive. Within the framework of this program, cooperation with Ukraine has been ongoing since 2015. We hope that our cooperation with financial institutions of Ukraine, as before, will have a beneficial effect on the development of bilateral trade turnover,” Sokol said.
He recalled that the government of Belarus signed agreements with 5 Ukrainian and four leasing companies that the Belarusian side would reduce the cost of loans and leasing by two-thirds of the discount rate. Privat Bank is preparing to conclude such an agreement.
“Five years of practice in applying the preferential lending program in Ukraine confirm the keen interest in it on the Ukrainian side. Under this program, more than 1200 units of Belarusian equipment were supplied to the Ukrainian market with financing from Ukrainian banks and leasing companies totaling about 40 million US dollars,” the Belarusian ambassador boasted.
He also said that Belarus has increased exports of bitumen to the Ukrainian market for road construction - by 62,7% in physical volumes. The share of the Ukrainian market occupied by our products was almost 80%.
Belarusian manufacturers of agricultural machinery plan to take part in the large-scale agro-industrial exhibition “AgroExpo-2020”, which will be held this year from September 30 to October 3 in Kropyvnytskyi.
There are 9 joint assembly plants in Ukraine: MTZ tractors, Gomselmash combine harvesters, elevator equipment, MAZ trolleybuses, MAZ automobile equipment, Belkommunmash trolleybuses, gate systems, electrical measuring instruments, and this includes jobs.
“Belaruskali” and the Belarusian Railway purchased cars produced by the Kryukovsky Carriage Plant, thereby supporting the Ukrainian enterprise.
The Belarusian diplomat highlighted cooperation with Ukraine in the field of oil supplies, alternative to the Russian one.
“I consider one of the most important joint projects to be the implementation of agreements at the highest level on the use of the Ukrainian oil transportation system to supply oil by sea to the Mozyr Oil Refinery. This is a mutually beneficial project. During March-September 2020, 7 tankers with oil were unloaded at the port of Yuzhny in the Odessa region.
In total, about 620 thousand tons of oil arrived by sea through Ukraine, which was pumped to the Mozyr Oil Refinery. The oil products produced at the enterprise went to the Ukrainian market. And it's not just fuel. In January-August 2020, Belarus supplied Ukraine with 1,21 million tons of diesel fuel, 0,54 million tons of gasoline, 210,0 thousand tons of gas, and, as I already mentioned, 317,9 thousand tons of bitumen,” said Falcon.
Let us recall that in early September, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Belarus Igor Kizim, recalled to Kyiv “for consultations,” caused a scandal at the border, declaring a “diplomatic war.”
Minsk did not respond to a note from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on this matter.
English version :: Read in English Minsk highly appreciated Ukraine's assistance in supplying oil, an alternative to Russian