President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree according to which the company “Belorusneft” is removed from subordination to the concern “Belneftekhim”, which previously fell under US sanctions, the corresponding document was published on the legal portal of the republic.
The new document prescribes to exclude from the 2006 decree the item “the production association is subordinate to the Belarusian State Concern for Oil and Chemistry”, as well as the provision that the general director of “Belorusneft” is appointed and dismissed by the chairman of “Belneftekhim” in agreement with the president of the country.
Since June 3, the United States has renewed sanctions against nine Belarusian state-owned enterprises, banning American citizens from conducting transactions with them, their property or property interests. US restrictions included Belneftekhim, Belneftekhim USA, Belarusian Oil Trading House, Belshins, Grodno Azot, Grodno Khimvolokna, Lakokraski, Naftan and Polotsk Steklovolokna.
The US decision on restrictive measures against Minsk was made after an incident with an emergency landing of a Ryanair plane in the republic on May 23. In response, Minsk decided to reduce the number of diplomats and administrative and technical personnel of the US Embassy and to complicate the procedure for issuing visas and the work of American specialists in Belarus.
In 2014, seven years after the imposition of sanctions against Belneftekhim (they were suspended in 2015), the Belarusian government withdrew Belaruskali from the Belneftekhim concern in order to supply products to the United States.
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