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Increased cooperation with Venezuela poses no threat to Belarusian-Russian relations, says Foreign Minister Martynaw

Belarusian Foreign Minister Syarhey Martynaw has defended Minsk’s oil deal with Venezuela and pledged that relations with Russia will remain strong, BelaPAN reports.

“We are not changing the [foreign policy] vector,” Mr. Martynaw said in an interview broadcast by Belarus’ ONT channel on March 25. “But we cannot leave our country without oil. So, we are looking for oil and places where it is and where we have access to it along with favorable conditions. And Venezuela is the place.”

Last week Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez reached a deal whereby Belarus, which depends largely on Russia for its energy needs, will import 80,000 barrels of crude oil a day from Venezuela starting May.

Mr. Martynaw said that Belarus and “above all the president” had been seeking access to oil and natural gas production operations in neighboring Russia for many years.

“Ideally, we could produce eight million to 10 million tons of oil and a certain amount of natural gas there and do it on our own but, of course, in close cooperation with Russia,” he said. “And we could pump it here and buy more oil and gas from the Russian Federation.”

“But the world is sometimes far from being ideal,” he said.

The foreign minister said that Minsk had repeatedly asked Russia to give Belarus access “adequate in terms of comport” to oil and natural gas deposits “on mutually beneficial terms.” "We are not begging to get it for free,” he said.

"We cooperate with Venezuela not because we have good political ties,” Mr. Martynaw said. “But because we offer competitive services in oil exploration and production, and oil production support.”

Belarus is “competitive” in the South American country’s sector, he said.

As for costs associated with the delivery of Venezuelan oil to Belarus, Mr. Martynaw said that the issue “remains open.”

In May, the first shipments will be delivered to Belarus’ oil refineries by way of experiment, he said.

The minister acknowledged “risks.” “But those who don’t risk don’t produce oil,” he said.