Belarus prefers Russian oil to Venezuelan

Belarus has scrapped imports of oil from Venezuela, Vice Premier Vladimir Semashko said, RIA Novosti reports.

Belarus prefers Russian oil. It had no swap schemes with Venezuela. Such schemes are realized with Azerbaijan via transit through Georgia and Ukraine.

Belarus and Venezuela signed a deal on purchase of 10 million tons of oil in 4 years in 2010. Russia set a limit of 6.3 million tons of custom-free oil for Belarus.

The price per ton of Venezuelan oil for Belarus reached $917 in January-March 2012, compared with $442 for Russian oil.

Russian Ambassador to Belarus Alexander Surikov said in Minsk in early June that imports of Russian petroleum products in Belarus had increased significantly in the last years. it increased fourfold in 2012. Belarus imports more than it demands.