Belarus may import up to 10 million metric...
"In 2010, oil supplies from Venezuela may reach 4 million metric tons (29.2 million barrels), while the volume may rise to up to 10 million metric tons in a year," Vladimir Zubkov was quoted as saying by Belarus"s Belta news agency.
The agreements on the supply of up to 80,000 barrels of crude oil per day to Belarus were reached in March at a meeting between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez in Caracas.
The first 32,000 barrels of Venezuelan oil were delivered to the former Soviet republic on Sunday. The first 80-barrel batch of oil is expected to be delivered to Belarus"s Mozyr refinery on May 12-13.
Oil is shipped to the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa, from which it is delivered to Belarus by rail.
Some experts say the transportation of Venezuelan oil to Belarus is an unprofitable project, while the Belarusian government believes the project is advantageous for the ex-Soviet republic.