At least one batch of Belarusian gasoline will soon be shipped via the Russian port of Ust-Luga.
So far, the Belarusian cargo flow has been through the Baltic States. Official Minsk decided to redirect it to Russian sea ports after Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia supported the Belarusian putschists.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernalis claimed that it was allegedly unprofitable for Belarus to stop cooperating with the Baltic States.
“Every economic indicator tells us that it is not justified to redirect Belarus to Russia with both bulk cargoes and oil products. This will be another failure”, – he said.
Despite this, Moscow and Minsk were able to agree on beneficial terms of partnership, and in October Belarus will send at least one shipment of gasoline through the Russian port of Ust-Luga. Reuters sources in the oil refining industry said that the Belarusian company will ship 37 thousand tons of gasoline from its Mozyr refinery.
“This is a test batch”, – said the source.
Such cooperation causes serious damage to the ports of the Baltic republics, which have already lost cooperation with Russia because of the unfriendly policy of their governments. For example, the port of Klaipeda, through which Belarusian cargoes pass, generates 31% of revenue for the Lithuanian budget.
“Now imagine how huge a gap in the Lithuanian budget would be if Belarusian transit were to move to the Russian Ust-Luga. We are talking about social payments, salaries for doctors, teachers, pensions”, – says Lithuanian publicist Sergei Perepelytsya.