OREANDA-NEWS. On 05 August 2008 was announced, that Vice-Premier I. Sechin made a report at the government presidium session under the chairmanship of Vladimir Putin about the energy carrier supplies to Czech Republic.

According to I. Sechin at present oil is being supplied in this direction within the framework of the treaties between the Czech and Russian suppliers concluded via intermediate companies registered mainly in offshore zones. The vast majority of Russian extracting companies do not have any direct long-term agreements with the Czech consumers. According to the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation, “Transneft” and several oil companies 2008 saw about 260 thousand tons of oil have been applied for transportation to Czech Republic in July 2008. At that the transportation capacitates in this direction have need allocated in the volume of 442 thousand tons.

“Transneft” guarantees transportation of such volume if appeared on the market. It’s evident that effective acquisition order of the Russian oil for the Czech’s oil refineries in partnership with the intermediaries under the “Bashneft” and “Tatneft” contracts gives not guarantee for fulfillment of the approved schedule”, I. Sechin stated.

“In point of fact the Czech party claims are made at the wrong door. The Ministry of Energy has sent a corresponding note to Miroslav Kostelka the Ambassador of the Czech Republic in the Russian Federation. Moreover during the last three years within the frameworks of the international legal commission the Czech party has at various times been offered to sign a memorandum on conditions of Russian oil transportation to the Czech Republic in order to develop a supply control and fulfillment of contractual obligations monitoring mechanism. Probably the unwillingness to arrange the reciprocal liabilities providing attraction of Russian oil suppliers have not so far allow the Czech party to approve the named memorandum”, - he said.

I. Sechin also informed that the Russian companies are diligently developing the routes via Novorossiisk and Primorsk which will allow to provide steadier operation and supply efficiency.

An intention of the Ukrainian party to transport oil via the “Odessa – Brody” oil pipeline in an averse mode this year is a source of concern for the Russian oil suppliers to the Central and Eastern Europe markets forcing them to search for more stable oil supply options. According to I. Sechin this is one of the problems. The second point is consistency of operation of the transport system and intention of the Ukrainian party to change the supplies making our companies to search for other routes – in particular to Novorossisk and Primorsk.

V.Putin has stated in reply: “I understand and agree. I feel that the reasons are really beside the point of the Russian suppliers. However please take the issue under your attention and work it out with all partners for the cooperation purposes”, according to the press-service of the Russian government.