KIEV, December 2 /TASS/. Ukraine plans to raise transit tariffs on the southern spur of the Druzhba pipeline and denominate the prices in euro, the Neftetransportnaya Territoriya oil company wrote on its portal on Tuesday referring to its sources at the Ukraine Ministry of Energy and Coal Mining Industry.

“Ukraine wants to raise oil transit tariffs on Druzhba’s southern spur by 9% and denominate the new prices in euros,” the source clarified.

Ukraine has tried to explain its decision by Belarus’s intention to raise tariffs for oil transit on the northern spur of the Druzhba pipeline.

“We consider it fair. According to our information, Belarus suggests increasing transit tariffs to Europe by 15%,” the source explained.

Neftetransportnaya Territoriya’s source close to the Russian Energy Ministry confirmed that Belarus was planning to raise its transit tariffs but was going to denominate prices in roubles. The current agreement with Belarus, however, does not provide for any tariff growth.

Druzhba’s southern spur supplies gas to MOL plants in Hungary and Slovakia as well as to the Czech Republic.

Known as the largest and most prominent oil pipeline in the world, the Druzhba Pipeline remains a leading service for the transportation of oil to European countries.

The 5,327 km Druzhba Oil Pipeline, also known as the Friendship Pipeline, was built to meet the oil requirements of Bulgaria, Hungary, the former German Democratic Republic (GDR - East Germany), Poland and Czechoslovakia. It has been in operation since 1960.