Europe

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian oil and gas condensate output C-RU-OUT rose to 11.28 million barrels per day (bpd) in January, from 11.26 million bpd in December, Interfax news agency reported on Sunday, citing Energy Ministry’s data.

This is in line with what sources told Reuters last week and the highest since it reached 11.29 million bpd in August.

In tonnes, oil output rose to 47.72 million versus 47.63 million in December. Reuters uses a 7.33 conversion ratio in its calculations when converting tonnes to barrels.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain expects the EU to “live up to” its undertakings to offer London a Canada-style free-trade deal, foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Sunday, reiterating that any deal will not require “high alignment” with the bloc’s rules.

After Britain officially left the EU on Friday, the two sides are expected to start negotiating a future trade deal in March, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson setting out his stall in a speech on Monday.

MINSK, Belarus (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Saturday that the United States is willing and able to provide Belarus with 100% of its oil and gas, taking a slap at Russia which recently cut off supplies.

Pompeo is the first secretary of state to visit Belarus in 26 years and arrived in Minsk amid new tensions between Minsk and Moscow over energy. In a meeting with authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, Pompeo said he hoped to help provide an opportunity for Belarus to achieve the “sovereignty” and “independence” it seeks.

LONDON (AP) — If you thought the drawn-out battle over the U.K.’s departure from the European Union was painful, wait until you see what comes next.

MOSCOW, February 1. /TASS/: Two Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers have performed a 16-hour flight above the neutral waters of the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Arctic Ocean, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"The flight assignment lasted more than 16 hours. During the flight, planes of the long-range aviation performed aerial refueling," the ministry said in a statement.

MOSCOW, February 1. /TASS/: The upper stage of the Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket, whose January 24 launch was postponed due to a technical malfunction, will be replaced, a space industry source told TASS on Saturday.

Earlier reports said that the Soyuz carrier rocket was scheduled to deliver the Meridian satellite to the orbit on January 24, but the launch was postponed before the rocket was fuelled. A rocket and space industry source identified the problem as a short circuit in a cabel in one of the third stage's systems.

MINSK, February 1. /TASS/: Belarus is ready to facilitate any format for meetings and negotiations, including formats with participation of the United States, to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said at a briefing after talks with United States Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, who arrived in Minsk on an official visit.

MOSCOW, February 1. /TASS/: The total volume of written cyber insurance premium in Russia does not exceed several million dollars, but may increase several times in the coming years, according to experts interviewed by TASS.

MOSCOW, February 1. /TASS/: Rosseti Group will allocate 1.1 trillion rubles ($17.19 bln) to the investment program in 2020-2024, Head of Rosseti Pavel Livinsky said on Saturday.

"The approved investment program for the five-year period from 2020 to 2024 reaches 1.1 trillion rubles. It takes into account all investment needs, including comprehensive plan of the country and the development of regions based on mechanisms and development programs adopted by the regions," Livinsky said.

STOCKHOLM, February 1. /TASS/: Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde told TASS she had no information so far about plans to hold another round of talks between the United States and North Korea in her country.

"No news for today," she said. "We are trying to create conditions under which the United States and North Korea would be willing to negotiate. We cannot force them, it should be their determination. And, at present, this determination is not particularly strong, especially on behalf of North Korea."