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Belarus 'restarts oil shipments' Russia-Belarus oil blockade ends
(about 9 hours later)
Belarus has restarted the flow of crude oil from Russia, says an operator of the key Druzhba pipeline. Russia has resumed pumping crude oil to Europe via Belarus, according to Russian pipeline operator Transneft.
The announcement was made by Alexei Kostuchenko, general director of Gomeltransneft Druzhba. He said the transit shipments began at 2035 GMT. Sergei Grigoriyev, the state-run firm's vice president, said oil flows to Germany and several Eastern European countries had begun again at 0530 GMT.
He said Poland, Germany, Ukraine and Slovakia would receive the oil among others - as agreed earlier. The move followed a three-day halt in supplies through Russia's key Druzhba pipeline, which passes through Belarus.
Russia cut off supplies to Belarus on Monday after Minsk was forced to accept a doubling of Russian gas prices. Russia cut off supplies to Belarus on Monday, claiming Minsk had been illegally siphoning off oil.
Moscow claimed it had been siphoning off supplies. The dispute between the two former Soviet countries came after Moscow forced Belarus to accept a major increase in the cost of gas supplies to the country in late December.
In retaliation, Belarus put a transit tax on oil shipments from Russia, but withdrew it earlier on Wednesday. Russia later imposed a hefty duty on oil exports to Belarus, claiming its neighbour was costing it up to $4bn in lost revenues each year.
One of Russia's main demands had been that the tax be cancelled, in a bid to resolve the dispute. In retaliation, Belarus slapped a $45-per-tonne transit tax on oil shipments from Russia, but withdrew it earlier on Wednesday after tense top-level government talks between both sides.
Mr Kostuchenko said his firm had told Russian operator Transneft that "according to an agreement reached earlier, the pumping of oil has started to Poland, Germany, Ukraine, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary." Russia had refused to pay the Belarusian tax, and demanded it be cancelled in order for oil supplies through the pipeline to begin again.
Criticism At its height, the dispute hit Russian oil supplies to Germany, Poland, Ukraine and other Eastern European countries via the Druzhba pipeline.
The move by Russia to cut off supplies via the Druzhba - or Friendship - pipeline has elicited much criticism, including from the International Energy Agency's head Claude Mandil. 'Destroyed trust'
RUSSIAN OIL USERS* Hungary - 83.5% of all oil suppliesSlovakia - 82.2%Finland - 79.1%Poland - 77.2%Czech Republic - 49.3%Belgium - 31.8%Sweden - 29.4%Germany - 26.2%Netherlands - 25.3%Italy - 18.1%Austria - 16.8%France - 11.4%Denmark - 2.1% *Source: Petroleum Economist magazine Q&A: Pipeline shutdown Analysis: Oil rowRUSSIAN OIL USERS* Hungary - 83.5% of all oil suppliesSlovakia - 82.2%Finland - 79.1%Poland - 77.2%Czech Republic - 49.3%Belgium - 31.8%Sweden - 29.4%Germany - 26.2%Netherlands - 25.3%Italy - 18.1%Austria - 16.8%France - 11.4%Denmark - 2.1% *Source: Petroleum Economist magazine Q&A: Pipeline shutdown Analysis: Oil row
He said the move undermined faith in Russia as an oil exporter. "It is more difficult to be confident," Mr Mandil told Reuters news agency. Speaking on Thursday, Mr Grigoriyev said Russian oil was once again "flowing through the Druzhba pipeline to Europe".
His comments came after Alexei Kostuchenko, the general director of Belarusian pipeline operator Gomeltransneft Druzhba, said Belarus had started transit shipments of crude through the pipeline at 2035 GMT on Wednesday.
The move by Russia to cut off supplies via the Druzhba pipeline - whose name roughly translates as friendship - brought about widespread criticism across Europe.
International Energy Agency boss Claude Mandil said the move undermined faith in Russia as an oil exporter.
EU energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs said the EU was keen to keep using Russian oil, but sought reassurance that oil would not be cut off again.EU energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs said the EU was keen to keep using Russian oil, but sought reassurance that oil would not be cut off again.
German Chancellor and current European Union president Angela Merkel had denounced the pipeline closure as unacceptable and one that "destroyed trust" in Russia as an energy supplier. German Chancellor and current European Union president Angela Merkel denounced the pipeline closure as unacceptable and one that "destroyed trust" in Russia as an energy supplier.
Talks
Moscow and Belarus held talks to resolve their dispute on Wednesday.
A statement from Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko's office said: "The prime ministers of Belarus and Russia were ordered to work out concrete proposals within two days for resolution of all problem questions."
The dispute was sparked when Russia forced Minsk to grudgingly accept a doubling in the price of oil supplies.
In retaliation, Belarus imposed a new tax on Russian oil shipments passing through the country. Russia has refused to pay the duties, saying they are illegal.
On Monday the conflict came to a head when Russian state-owned pipeline firm Transneft closed the Druzhba pipe, saying Belarus had been siphoning off oil supplies as payment in kind for the unpaid duties.
The 2,500-mile-long pipeline has the capacity to ship more than 1.2 million barrels a day to eastern and central Europe and typically works at close to full capacity.The 2,500-mile-long pipeline has the capacity to ship more than 1.2 million barrels a day to eastern and central Europe and typically works at close to full capacity.