MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/. Russian oil and petroleum products are in demand on the global market and are being sold without a discount, and in some cases even at a premium, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told reporters.

"Today, when there is a shortage on the market, our oil and petroleum products are in demand, and, as we can see, discounts have decreased, and in certain areas they are now even sold at a premium," he said on the sidelines of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs congress.

At the same time, Novak noted that freight costs had increased due to the situation in the Middle East.

"Yes, there are freight costs, and freight rates have increased in price because, as a result of a large number of tankers being ‘blocked’ in the Strait of Hormuz, the number of tankers in the world transporting oil and petroleum products has decreased, competition is high, and therefore rates have risen somewhat. As for the premium paid by buyers, end consumers, we have now moved from a discount either to zero discount or even partially to a premium," he said.