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Moscow, Minsk have no unresolved issues on oil delivery — Belneftekhim

Belneftekhim chairman Andrey Rybakov said that there are no issues that may hinder the implementation of the roadmap for resolving the situation with oil deliveries

MINSK, May 20. /TASS/. The Belarusian and Russian sides have no resolved issues that might hinder the implementation of the roadmap for settling the situation with oil supplies, Belneftekhim chairman Andrey Rybakov said on Monday after Moscow oil talks.

"There are no unresolved issues that may hinder us from proceeding in accordance with the roadmap. There are, however, some technical issues," Rybakov was quoted by the BelTA news agency as saying.

In mid-April, Belneftekhim reported a sharp deterioration in the quality of the Russian oil running through the pipeline. The content of organochloride compounds in Urals crude delivered via the Gomeltransneft Druzhba oil pipeline was dozens of times above the limit value. As a result, both Belarusian refineries - the Mozyr refinery (Gomel region) and Naftan (Vitebsk region) - were forced to reduce the process utilization rate. Belarus also suspended exports of light oil products to Ukraine, Poland and Baltic countries.

On May 16, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak held talks in Moscow with his Belarusian counterpart Igor Lyashenki. After talks, both sides expressed optimism about restoring the routine operation of the oil pipeline.

On May 19, Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Lyashenko said that Minsk has agreed on a draft roadmap with Russia to resolve the situation with oil deliveries.