Lithuania looks to ban transit, import of Belarusian goods

<p> MINSK, Dec 13 - PrimePress. Lithuania’s Transport Ministry has proposed a law introducing sanctions for goods directly or indirectly imported, bought, as well as transferred from Belarus. The measure is proposed in the interest of “national security”, the ministry explained. </p> <p>   </p> <p> The bill, registered on Friday, would allow Lithuania to prevent any transit of Belaruskali fertilisers via Lithuania's territory, the ministry said. </p> <p>   </p> <p> The proposal comes on the back of Lithuania’s failure to stop the transit of Belarusian fertilisers after the US introduced sanctions on Belaruskali, the Belarusian state-owned company and one of the biggest potash producers in the world. </p> <p>   </p> <p> “Contracts signed before the implementation of sanctions in Lithuania must be terminated unilaterally or under mutual agreement or their implementation must be suspended for the durations of sanctions. Contracts running counter to sanctions implemented in Lithuania are forbidden,” the bill reads. </p> <p>   </p> <p> If the law is adopted, the government would set the duration, termination, extension of sanctions and exceptions. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Previously, on 10 Dec 2021, Lithuanian Transport Minister Marius Skuodis wrote in his Facebook account that he intended to propose to the government to impose sanctions against Belaruskali (Soligorsk, Minsk Oblast) on the national level. </p> <p>   </p> <p> As previously reported, after the August 2020 presidential election in Belarus a political crisis began. The EU, UK, US and Canada has been gradually imposing sanctions against Belarusian officials as well as individual businesses, accusing Minsk of election rigging and abuse of human rights. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Under the OFAC order of August 9 (US Office of Foreign Assets Control), any transactions with Belaruskali or any other company with Belaruskali’s direct or indirect ownership of 50 percent or more, need to be wound down by 7 p.m. Lithuanian time on December 8. However, Lithuania’s state-owned railway company (Lietuvos gelezinkeliai, LG) said in December that it would continue transporting transit cargoes of Belarus’ fertiliser manufacturer Belaruskali to the Port of Klaipeda as Belaruskali had already paid transit and transhipping charges to the Lithuanian company. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said the country’s reputation had been badly damaged when the transit of Belarusian fertilizers through Lithuania did not stop, despite the US sanctions on Belaruskali that came into force on 8 December. As a result of the scandal Lithuanian Minister of Transport Marius Skuodis and Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis both filed for resignation. End </p>

2021-12-14

Primepress