Russian oil supplies to Belarus resumed Saturday as the two countries neared agreement on a new contract after deliveries were halted the previous day, the Belarusian state energy firm said.

"At 1705 (1405 GMT) today, the pumping units were turned on and deliveries of oil to the Naftan refinery began," Vladimir Sizov, vice president at energy firm Belneftekhim said in a Belta news agency report.

The terms of the new contract were not given but Belneftekhim said in a statement earlier that it was on the verge of signing a deal with Russian companies to ensure that the country's refineries would be able to operate normally again.

The ex-Soviet neighbours have a long history of energy disputes and complicated bilateral ties, with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko holding a series of calls with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in an effort to get a new deal by the January 1 deadline.

The deliveries are crucial for Belarus which buys about 24 million tons of oil from Russia every year, with about six million for its own needs and the rest exported on to Europe.