MINSK, March 4. /TASS/. The first tanker with Russian oil purchased by Belarus from traders has arrived in the port of Klaipeda, Lithuania, press secretary of Belneftekhim holding Alexander Tishchenko told reporters on Wednesday.
"The first of two tankers has already arrived in Klaipeda port; it will be set for unloading in the evening. Deliveries to Belarus [to Naftan company — TASS] by rail will begin tomorrow, on March 5," the press secretary said.
The port of Klaipeda confirmed arrival of the vessel to TASS. "The tanker Front Ocelot flying the flag of the Marshall Islands delivered an oil batch with the volume of about 80,000 tonnes. The feedstock will be taken by the terminal of Klaipedos Nafta," spokesman of the port Nijole Dvarionaite said.
Belneftekhim informed earlier that Belarus had purchased Russian oil of 160,000 tonnes via traders, to be supplied to Klaipeda in March. The feedstock price was not detailed.
The supplies of Russian oil to Belarusian refineries were stopped on January 1, 2020 because Moscow and Minsk had failed to come to an agreement on this year’s supplies. Later, deliveries were partially resumed by the Safmar Group. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko instructed his government earlier to find alternatives to importing oil from Russia. The authorities in Minsk said that they had sent proposals to the Baltic States, Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. On January 26, Belarus received the first batch of oil it bought in Norway via the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda.