Belarus deputy PM in Moscow for oil talks

A Belarusian government delegation led by the country’s deputy prime minister today arrived in Moscow to hold talks on a trade dispute that has led to a suspension of Russian oil supplies to Europe via Belarus, ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

Vice-Premier Andrei Kobyakov will meet Russian officials to try to find a solution to the transit of oil through Belarus, the Belarusian Embassy in Moscow was quoted as saying by ITAR-Tass.

Spokespeople at the embassy could not immediately be contacted.

Russia yesterday stopped pumping oil to Europe via the Druzhba, or Friendship, pipeline that crosses Belarus, accusing its neighbour of siphoning off oil.

The pipeline carries oil to Germany, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The European Union called for the oil deliveries to be resumed “as quickly as possible”.

EU energy chief Andris Piebalgs yesterday said the situation posed no immediate risk to energy supplies in the European Union, where refineries maintain strategic oil stocks.

He said that he could convene a meeting later in the week of the bloc’s Oil Supply Group to evaluate the situation.