Lithuania is threatening to stop the export of Belarusian potash and other fertilizers through its Klaipeda port, according to a report by Belarus pro-democracy and pro-human rights news site Charter 97. Belarus rails most of its potash for export through Klaipeda, using Lithuanian railways, with some 10-11 million mt transshipped annually via the port.
According to the report, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis said in an interview with Delfi, a Baltic States’ major news portal, that Lithuania already has formally submitted proposals to Brussels for an extension of the European Union’s (E.U.) sectoral sanctions, including on Belarusian potash.
However, according to the report, citing the minister, formal negotiations have not yet begun, and will not be discussed until September. Green Markets was unable to confirm the proposal by press time.
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry had warned earlier that such action might be taken if the flow of illegal migrants from the Middle East and Africa across Lithuania’s 680-km border with Belarus did not stop. Several hundred migrants have entered Lithuania in recent weeks, according to a report by Deutshe Presse-Agentur (DPA). The Baltic country said the influx is retaliation by the Belarus regime to the E.U.’s latest sanctions. Lithuania declared a state of emergency on July 2 due to the numbers of migrants now crossing its border (GM July 9, p. 29).
Belarus’ Foreign Ministry said on June 28 Belarus would move to suspend a readmission agreement with the E.U. that is aimed to stem illegal migration, (GM July 2, p. 1). This week, reports emerged that Belarus plans to close part of the country’s border with Lithuania in order to stop migrants who have crossed into Lithuania from coming back, according to a DPA report.
The latest set of measures, imposed by the E.U. on June 24 against the Belarusian regime, and implemented on June 25, include restrictions on the imports of Belarus potash into E.U. countries and a transit ban via E.U countries, as well as Belarus NPK fertilizers (GM June 25, p. 1).
But crucially, the current measures do not apply to the export of a key grade of Belarus potash, that is, “potassium chloride with a potassium content evaluated as K2O by weight, exceeding 40 percent but not exceeding 60 percent on the dry anhydrous product.”
Critics argue that E.U. restrictions imposed on Belarus potash exports as they currently stand have put limits on only about 20 percent of exports of the nutrient shipped by Lithuania.
Belarus potash shipped via Lithuania is handled at Klaipeda by Biriu Kroviniu Terminalas (Bulk Cargo Terminal [BKT]), in which Belaruskali owns a 30 percent stake.