MOSCOW, December 25. /TASS/. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not rule out that cooperation between Moscow and Minsk would be based on equal terms in the future. However, at the current stage of integration between the two countries, the issue at hand is the commercial aspect, he said.
"The issue at hand here is, naturally, the commercial aspect. Of course, given the current level of our integration, one cannot talk about equal terms for Russian and Belarusian consumers in all respects. The current level of integration does not provide for that," he told reporters on Wednesday.
According to the Kremlin spokesman, "the implementation of some other, more advanced arrangements will be possible in the long run, both within the EAEU and the Union State after the integration processes move ahead." "Meanwhile, the issue at hand is commercial aspects. Work is in progress and coordination is continuing," Peskov noted.
The spokesman’s comments followed remarks by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that Russia’s actions in the gas and oil spheres forced Minsk to search for an alternative. On December 24, the Belarusian leader mentioned the possibility of reverse oil purchases through Poland.
Russia and Belarus are in talks over purchasing Russian oil. The planned volume of supplies for 2020 is 24 mln tonnes. Among the issues the parties are at odds on is the tax maneuver in Russia’s oil industry. Belarus seeks compensation for losses from worsening oil trade conditions.