OREANDA-NEWS. May 20, 2010. The Mozyr Oil Refinery is expected to receive the second batch of the Venezuelan oil amounting to nearly 80,000 tonnes in June, second secretary, head of the trade and economic cooperation department of the Embassy of Venezuela in Belarus Maria Elena Rojas, who is taking part in the 7th Gomel Economic Forum, told media on 20 May.

The agreement on the delivery of the Venezuelan oil to Belarus was signed in March 2010. The total supplies will make up 4 million tonnes of oil this year. The products received from the processed oil will be jointly sold on the European market. For these purposes Belarus and Venezuela plan to set up a joint company where Venezuela is to hold a 75% stake, with the rest 25% given to Belarus.

The first batch of the Venezuela oil (80,000 tonnes) was delivered to the port of Odessa in the late April 2010. The oil was then shipped to the Mozyr Oil Refinery in tank wagons. It has already been processed.

As for the economic forum, the diplomat noted that the Embassy of Venezuela has been taking part in it for the first time in the Gomel Oblast. “For us it is an opportunity to look into the investment projects of the region. We have been developing cooperation with Belarusneft. Besides, we are interested in the construction projects. Setting up joint companies is also possible,” she stressed.