2007 Russia–Belarus energy dispute

The Russian- Belarusian energy dispute is the conflict between Belarus (Belarus ) and Russia to the sale and transit of Russian energy sources. He refers to the partial sale of the operator of the Belarusian pipeline network Beltransgaz to Gazprom and the price of Russian natural gas. In early January 2007 was another conflict on the transit of Russian oil to Western Europe, which escalated into a multi-day stop oil shipments via Belarus. Germany is concerned, among other European countries indirectly by this dispute, since about 20 % of imported oil flow through Belarus. A year before it came between Russia and Ukraine to the gas dispute.

Energy policy: conflict over natural gas

In April 2002, Russia and Belarus Russian gas supplies had agreed to Russian domestic prices. Condition was the formation of a joint venture between the Russian gas monopoly Gazprom and the operator of the Belarusian gas network Beltransgaz. Here Gazprom should buy a 50 percent stake Beltransgaz. The purchase price, there was no agreement. Belarus demanded by Gazprom 2.5 billion U.S. dollars and a gas price of $ 75, monetarily and $ 30 from the $ 45 to be financed by share transfer over several years. Gazprom's offer initially amounted to U.S. $ 200 for gas and 700 million to one billion for the 50 - percent package in the Belarusian natural gas supplier. As no agreement was reached, Gazprom reduced gas supplies strong. On 18 February 2004 Gazprom provided the supplies completely and threw Belarus ago to remove illegal for Western Europe specific gas. After ten hours, the gas was turned back on though, but in the EU were serious concerns arose. In order not to jeopardize its reputation as a reliable trading partner, Russia signed a compromise. The price of natural gas has been increased slightly, as did the transit tariffs, which received Beltransgaz for the use of its pipeline network. When participating in Beltransgaz Russia, however, did not come on.

2006, the price at which Gazprom had supplied natural gas to Belarus, 46 U.S. dollars per 1,000 cubic meters. It was a super reduced price, which was about 1/6 of the usual in Western Europe Prize. During the year, Gazprom announced that the price for Belarus to triple for 2007. The group reasoned that with the need for market-based business. The Belarusian President Lukashenko refused to the last to agree to an increase and threatened to siphon off the gas if necessary from the Belarus by extending pipelines to Western Europe. His call was to the effect that the prices for Belarus to be at the level of Russia's Smolensk Oblast, which was according to him the precondition for further integration of the two countries. However, he had braked sharply in recent years, for fear of personal power loss This integration.

December 31, 2006, minutes before the end of the old supply agreement, both sides were able to achieve the following agreement:

• Belarus buys Russian natural gas in 2007 for $ 100 for 1,000 cubic meters of gas.
• Gazprom buys Belarusian shares for the maximum price, ie for 2.5 billion.
• A gradual price increase for Western European price level is held until 2011.
• Russia pays increased by 70 percent transit fee to Belarus: 1.45 U.S. dollars for 1000 cubic meters of gas.
• Gazprom receives 50 percent of the shares of Beltransgaz for 2.5 billion U.S. dollars, payable in four annual installments.

Between Ukraine and Russia, there were ( very cold ) winter 2009/2010 a dispute: Ukraine refused to accept massive price increases for Russian gas. Russia throttled gas supplies so strong and so long that there was also a shortage of supply in countries of the European Union. 2010 Russia granted Ukraine a significant discount on gas supplies - in return the Russian fleet in the Black Sea may be longer intersect.

2010 escalated the dispute between Russia and Belarus once again: June 23, 2010 Russia slowed its supplies to Belarus further ( by 60 %: daily only 18 million cubic meters of gas instead of 45, told Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller). Minsk make no effort to pay the required debt of 156 million euros. Belarus accuses Gazprom of having not paid 211.7 million euros of debt for transit fees.

Russia refused initially to offset the two sums together.

Energy policy: conflict over oil

Background

Mid-nineties, the two countries agreed in the context of a targeted bilateral customs union that Russia does not levy export duties on be exported to Belarus crude oil and export duties, levied by Belarus for prepared therefrom and further exported oil products, be divided between the two states in return. 1995 was originally agreed that Belarus, assigns 85 percent of the duty, which it collects from export to third countries as compensation for the duty-free import from Russia to Russia. However, Belarus announced this agreement in 2001 on one side and kept the tariff revenue entirely for himself Below Belarus avoided consultations on this festering problem. At the sharp rise in recent years, world market prices Belarus deserved particularly strong. Within four years, its profit margin had almost tripled.

In May 2006, Putin signed an order to trade, economic, and financial and credit policy towards Belarus. Any direct or indirect subsidizing the Belarusian economy is to prevent. As Belarus still refused to implement the agreements of bilateral customs union, Russia led to be a crude oil export duty by a $ 180.7 per ton.

Introduction of the transit duty

From dissatisfaction with the closed gas contract and in response to valid from January 2007 Russian export customs announced on January 4 at Belarus, retroactively to impose, a transit tariff of $ 45 on every ton of oil from January 1 next to the transit fees, the Belarusian territory happens. Russia refused to accept these customs duty, and justified this by saying that this is against the global practice and to know Russian law. Following the global practice, only goods with customs be assigned that are produced or consumed in a country.

Blockage of the pipeline

On January 8, the CEO of the Russian pipeline operator Transneft, Semyon Wainstock explained that illegal Belarusian withdrawals amounting to 79,000 tons of oil were found. The Belarusian company Belneftekhim had the Druzhba pipeline tapped and taken specific oil for Western Europe. The government of Lukashenko motivated this with damages for the now "illegal" become Russian transit, for which Russia refused to pay the newly introduced customs transit. It was initially unclear whether the same day occurred delivery stop was initiated by the Russian or from the Belarusian side. The following day, the Transneft guide confessed that she had completely stopped oil shipments. They attributed this to the futility of transit, as long as the White Russians entnähmen a large part of the oil. Germany, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic received no more oil through this pipeline. Although the suspension of supplies caused no immediate shortages in Western Europe, but has been criticized "unacceptable" by the EU.

Resolution of the dispute

After a phone call between Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin, the Belarusian side declared on 10 January that it withdraws the controversial transit duty on Russian oil to Europe. So she gave in the demand of Moscow, after the abolition of the transit fee was seen as a condition for opening negotiations. Giving- back happened to the Russian announcement, completely abolish the customs union and to end the current exemption from customs duties for many Belarusian goods that are exported to Russia. These account for about 50 % of the total Belarusian export scope. Also, Belarus sought about 79,000 tonnes of feed taken from oil back into the pipeline. Then Russia took the supplies of oil through the Druzhba pipeline again.

In subsequent negotiations, the Belarusian side wanted to achieve that Moscow returns to its special treatment of Belarus by export duty-free oil supplies. In turn, Belarus will go after the old agreements on the division of its oil product duties to Europe now real.

On January 12, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and his Belarusian counterpart Sergei Sidorsky reached a compromise. Russia imposed an export duty on crude oil deliveries to Belarus those that are further processed and then re-exported as oil products. The amount of export duty is governed by a specific allocation structure, the customs revenues of Belarus is based on the export of oil products.

Russia further support

On January 15, Vladimir Putin underlined in a government meeting, Russia support Belarus continue, albeit in decreasing degree. In 2007 alone, the Russian support will be through reduced gas prices are still 3.3 billion U.S. dollars in oil and 2.5 billion. That makes a total of 5.8 billion U.S. dollars, equivalent to about 41% of the Belarusian State budget. However, these details only Russian concessions in prices and tariffs, and do not include the loss of tax revenue due to business migration to privileged Belarus.

In 2006, the subsidization of Belarus had amounted to about 7 billion dollars.