(MENAFN) According to a report by the Russian newspaper Kommersant, Moscow is set to elevate the transportation tariffs it remits to Belarus for channeling oil to Europe via the southern extension of the Druzhba pipeline by 10.2 percent, effective from February. The agreement on this increment was reached between Transneft, the state-owned entity holding a monopoly over Russian oil pipelines, and Belarus.
Initially, Belarus had aspired for a more substantial hike of 14.5 percent. The southern leg of the Druzhba pipeline primarily facilitates the transit of Russian oil to nations such as Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, implying that refineries in these countries may witness augmented costs attributable to the enhanced transportation tariffs. In parallel, the pipeline's northern segment facilitates the transportation of oil from Kazakhstan to Germany.
Interestingly, the European Union's sanctions framework in response to the Ukraine conflict encompasses a prohibition on crude oil and petroleum product imports transported via maritime routes from Russia. However, this embargo does not extend to consignments dispatched through the Druzhba pipeline. Commenting on the geopolitical dynamics, Nikolai Tokarev, the Chief of Transneft, indicated that despite labeling the Czech Republic and Slovakia as "unfriendly" nations due to their endorsement of sanctions against Russia, these countries have petitioned the European Union for an extension of their exemption from the ban on Russian oil imports.
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