Russia halts oil flows to Belarus refineries

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia has halted oil supplies to Belarussian refineries after failing to agree terms for 2010, traders said on Sunday, threatening a repeat of a dispute which disrupted supplies to elsewhere in Europe three years ago.

Deliveries to Belarus refineries were halted after talks broke down on New Year’s Eve, two traders from major Russian oil firms told Reuters.

Transit flows to other parts of Europe have not so far been affected, but Germany and Poland are closely watching the stand-off after supplies to some of their major refineries were cut during a similar row between Moscow and Minsk in January 2007.

Talks on a new pricing structure for 2010 supplies restarted on Saturday and were continuing on Sunday, said Igor Dyomin, a spokesman for Russian pipeline monopoly Transneft.

Reuters