Belarusian President Offered Assets to Russia in Exchange for Bashneft Shares

The Belarusian leader said he offered to Moscow to privatize some Belarusian enterprises in exchange for Russian oil company Bashneft's shares.

MINSK (Sputnik) — Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday he had offered to Russia privatization of Belarusian enterprises that are of interest to Moscow in exchange for Russian oil company Bashneft's shares, and added that there was no response.

"You have an interest in these enterprises, you want to buy them out. I have an interest in oil production, for us to be able to produce on our own not 25 million tonnes [of oil annually] that we refine in Belarus, but at least 7-8-10 million tonnes [in Russia] and deliver to Belarus," Lukashenko told Russian media at a news conference in Minsk.

"When Bashneft was being privatized, I sent proposals to your government: we would exchange [the Belarusian] enterprises, on condition they operate better, for Bashneft shares that you passed or sold to [energy company] Rosneft. We have not received a response up until now," he said.

Russia's Investigative Committee said Tuesday former Russian Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev was caught in the act when taking a $2 million bribe for a positive appraisal that allowed Rosneft to buy the state's shares of Bashneft. Ulyukayev has been charged with taking an especially large bribe and extortion and placed under house arrest. He denies his guilt.

The Investigative Committee said the Bashneft deal was legal and undisputed, noting that the agreement is not under investigation.