Belarus is going to rethink its policy in the field of energy. The “Naftan” refinery in Navapolatsk will build its core, since it can work on the oil, exported through the Baltic sea port of Ventspils (Latvia). “Naftan” will be renovated so that the refined oil products it produces would be competitive on the global market even when Belarus will have to pay global prices for the Russian oil. Other points of the new policy are cutting the state budget expenditures, encouraging foreign investment, strengthening the role of the private business in the economy, which is still widely state-regulated. The last, but not least – Russia will have to pay for the land, over which its pipelines are laid. President Lukashenka disagrees with Vladimir Putin, who claims that Russia subsidizes Belarus with nearly $ 5 billion a year. According to Lukashenka, Belarus loses $ 3,5 billion a year due to the new conditions of the energy trade with Russia. “I must be sure, that our independence is imperishable. We have to fight for it, either it’s a “cold” of a “hot” war”, he said.
