Russia accuses Belarus of siphoning off 79,000 tonnes oil

Moscow, Jan 8 (UNI) In a further escalation of oil row between Moscow and Minsk, Russia today accused Belarus of siphoning off 79,000 of oil from Druzhba pipeline meant for consumers in Western Europe.

''On January 6, the Belarussian side, without warning anyone, unilaterally started illegal oil tapping from Druzhba pipeline designed solely for the transportation of oil to consumers in Western Europe,'' Russian oil transit monopoly Transneft's President Semyon Vainshtok told Interfax news agency.

Mr Vainshtok called on Belarus to observe international norms, which outlaw transit discrimination.

''Transit is a 'sacred cow','' he said adding that Transneft was doing its best to increase oil exports through other pipelines.

The ongoing oil row between Moscow and Minsk, resembles the energy crisis early last year when Russia, which supplies more than 25 per cent of the European Union's oil and natural gas, suspended gas exports to Ukraine, badly affecting consumers in Western Europe.

Ukraine later admitted tapping Russian gas being transported to Europe.

Three European Union nations, including Lithuania, Poland and Germany, import Russian oil through Belarusian pipelines.

During the day, Polish spokesmen said Russian crude oil supplies to Poland were halted.

''There were some problems last night and all we can say now is that the crude oil does not flow through the Druzhba pipeline,'' Polish pipeline system operator PERN spokesman Tomasz Zakrzewski told the agency.

''We have sent questions to the Belarussian side about the reason for halting supplies and when they would be restored, but we have received no response yet,'' Zakrzewski said, adding the Polish side will soon send similar questions to Russia's oil transporter Transneft.

Russian companies were planning to deliver 4.61 million tonnes of oil to Poland along pipelines and ship 1.2 million tonnes more by sea in the first quarter of this year.

Russia doubled the gas price for Belarus to 100 dollars per 1,000 cubic metre from January 1 and also imposed an oil export duty of 180.7 dollars per metric tonne. Belarus responded on January 3 by introducing a transit duty of 45 dollars per metric tonne of Russian oil.

UNI