The U.S. offered to provide Belarus with 100% oil.

American producers are ready to provide Belarus with 100 per cent oil at competitive prices. This was stated by U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo in MINSK after a meeting with ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO.

 

 

- The United States wants to help Belarus create its sovereign state, and our energy producers are ready to provide you with the necessary oil at 100% competitive prices. We are the largest energy producer in the world, and all you need is to tell us and address us," said Pompeo.

 

What's with the oil?

Let us remind you that since January 1, 2020 Russian oil companies have stopped supplying oil to Belarus due to disagreements on the price of raw materials. Minsk insisted on the abolition of the premium to the price of duty-free oil supplies, motivating it by the cost of raw materials in connection with the implementation of the tax maneuver in the oil sector in RUSSIA. According to Belneftekhim, at present the price of oil supplies from Russia is 83% of the world oil price. The premium amount is $10 per ton.

 

December 31, after a telephone conversation with the President of Russia, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko held a meeting with the leadership of the country's petrochemical industry. The President gave instructions to ensure the supply of oil from alternative sources in the coming days.

 

January 4, Belneftekhim reported on the first contract with the Russian oil company without a premium to the price. The application for oil supply from Russia to Naftan in Novopolotsk was made by the companies of Mikhail Gutseriev - RussNeft and Neftis. On January 20 it became known that the Belarusian Oil Company (BOC) bought 80 thousand tons of Norwegian oil and delivered it to the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda.

 

How did the American oil get soaked in front of us?

America quite unexpectedly appeared on the Belarusian oil horizon in August 2019. The Belarusian Oil Company (BOC) hired American lobbyist David Genkarelli for 60 thousand dollars to get permission to purchase American crude oil. The barrier was the US sanctions policy. The fact is that Washington imposed sanctions on a number of petrochemical companies in Belarus after the presidential elections in 2006. In October 2015, the sanctions were suspended, but there were a number of restrictions.

 

In October 2019, the U.S. extended the suspension of sanctions against nine Belarusian companies for a year and a half. These are the enterprises Belarusian Oil Trade House, Belneftekhim and its American subsidiary, Belshina, Grodno Nitrogen, Grodno Khimvolokno, Lakokraska, Naftan and Polotsk Glass Fiber.

 

This time the suspension of sanctions will be valid for a year and a half - until April 26, 2021.

 

Today, U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said after a meeting with Alexander Lukashenko that the only option for the complete removal of sanctions is "Belarus' progress in human rights, press freedom and strengthening the role of civil society.

 

U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo met with Belarusian human rights activists during his visit to Minsk.