Russian MPs ratify Belarus-Russia oil supplies deal
Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, on February 12 ratified a protocol on the terms of oil supplies to Belarus. 436 MPs approved the protocol, with just one abstained. Nobody voted against, reports BELTA. The document grabbed hot debates in the lower chamber of the Russian parliament. Anatoly Lokot from the Communist Party faction questioned Russia's strategic interests in relations with Belarus. He said: "6.3 million tons of crude oil to be supplied duty-free to Belarus under this protocol is just a drop in comparison with what Russia supplies to the West. This reflects everything how Russia looks at the formation of the union state". Anatoly Lokots noted that Russia often builds relations with its partners on the basis of interests of oligarchs.
The protocol, ratified by the State Duma, was signed on January 27 in Moscow after several rounds of hard negotiations between Belarus first vice prime minister Uladzimir Syamashka and Russia's vice prime minister Igor Sechin.
The upper chamber of the Russian parliament -- the Council of the Federation -- is expected to ratify the protocal during an extraordinary session later today.
The protocol, ratified by the State Duma, was signed on January 27 in Moscow after several rounds of hard negotiations between Belarus first vice prime minister Uladzimir Syamashka and Russia's vice prime minister Igor Sechin.
The upper chamber of the Russian parliament -- the Council of the Federation -- is expected to ratify the protocal during an extraordinary session later today.
