The latest in the energy dispute between Russia and its former Soviet republics:
“The suspension of oil deliveries comes just days after Belarus and Russia reached a last-ditch agreement on gas prices that avoided a New Year’s cutoff of natural gas for Belarusian consumers that threatened a repeat of last year’s energy dispute between Moscow and Kiev.
Belarus grudgingly accepted a doubling of the price it pays for imports of Russian natural gas, on which it depends for industry and home heating.
But the two countries are now locked in a dispute over oil duties, with Russia determined to stop Belarus from re-exporting petroleum products made from processing Russian oil bought cheaply.”
via AP News
See the earlier politricks.mnp posts (and this) for background info on the conflict.
UPDATE (1/9/07): RUSSIA SHUTS OFF OIL PIPELINE TO PARTS OF EASTERN EUROPE
UPDATE 2 (1/10/07): BELARUS DITCHES TRANSIT TAX PLACED ON RUSSIAN OILÂ
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