Lithuanian Foreign Ministry says US/EU sanctions against Belarus should be synchronized
<p> MINSK, Dec 15 - PrimePress. The U.S. and EU sanctions against Belarus should be synchronized, then they will be easier to implement, said Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis with reference to the transit of Belaruskali products. </p> <p> </p> <p> “Especially when the latest sanctions pacts are adopting in Europe, the US has often responded with almost identical packages at home. In this case we have a clear deviation from the fact that Europe has imposed sanctions on certain fertilizer products that cannot be imported into the EU, while the US has imposed sanctions on the entire legal entity (Belaruskali – editor’s note),” Landsbergis told BNS, as reported by the TASS agency. </p> <p> </p> <p> “It would be good if these sanctions were synchronised, then many other issues would be resolved,” the Lithuanian foreign minister said. </p> <p> </p> <p> He believes that the current US sanctions have no legal consequences for Lithuania. The government is looking for ways to manage the emerging risks - both legal and financial, Landsbergis added. </p> <p> </p> <p> On 14 December 2021, Lithuanian state railway company Lietuvos gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways) board chairman Kęstutis Šliužas said the company’s CEO Mantas Bartuska would resign over the situation around the transit of Belaruskali fertilizers. A day earlier, Lithuanian Minister of Communications and Transport Marius Skuodis said he had submitted his resignation letter to the prime minister. Landzbergis also filed for resignation on December 10. Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, for her part, did not rule out the resignation of the entire cabinet because of the situation around the transit of Belaruskali fertilizers, but later said she did not accept the resignation of the foreign minister and the minister of transport. </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. 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. End
2021-12-16
Primepress
Lithuanian Foreign Ministry says US/EU sanctions against Belarus should be synchronized
MINSK, Dec 15 - PrimePress. The U.S. and EU sanctions against Belarus should be synchronized, then they will be easier to implement, said Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis with reference to the transit of Belaruskali products.
“Especially when the latest sanctions pacts are adopting in Europe, the US has often responded with almost identical packages at home. In this case we have a clear deviation from the fact that Europe has imposed sanctions on certain fertilizer products that cannot be imported into the EU, while the US has imposed sanctions on the entire legal entity (Belaruskali – editor’s note),” Landsbergis told BNS, as reported by the TASS agency.
“It would be good if these sanctions were synchronised, then many other issues would be resolved,” the Lithuanian foreign minister said.
He believes that the current US sanctions have no legal consequences for Lithuania. The government is looking for ways to manage the emerging risks - both legal and financial, Landsbergis added.
On 14 December 2021, Lithuanian state railway company Lietuvos gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways) board chairman Kęstutis Šliužas said the company’s CEO Mantas Bartuska would resign over the situation around the transit of Belaruskali fertilizers. A day earlier, Lithuanian Minister of Communications and Transport Marius Skuodis said he had submitted his resignation letter to the prime minister. Landzbergis also filed for resignation on December 10. Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, for her part, did not rule out the resignation of the entire cabinet because of the situation around the transit of Belaruskali fertilizers, but later said she did not accept the resignation of the foreign minister and the minister of transport.
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. 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. End