Lukashenko: Belarus may close transit of Ukrainian and Lithuanian goods in response to ban on Belarusian goods shipment to Klaipeda

<p> MINSK, Dec 22 - PrimePress. Belarus may close transit of Ukrainian and Lithuanian goods in response to the ban on shipping Belarusian goods to the port of Klaipeda (Lithuania). President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko made a statement to this effect at a meeting with senior officials of Gomel Oblast administration on 22 December, the president’s press service said. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Lukashenko said: “While everyone is sick and tired of talking about transit with the European Union, people fail to remember that, for instance, Ukraine's mutual trade with Lithuania alone via Belarus has been close to 3 million tonnes this year, including across the Gomel section of the state border. I don’t understand what Lithuanians think when they pressure us. We will close this transit. Let them transport the shipments via Germany or Poland. It will be three times as expensive.” </p> <p>   </p> <p> In his opinion, there lies a rather serious potential for Belarus to respond to “Lithuanian shenanigans around the Klaipeda port”. </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. Lithuanian Minister of Transport Marius Skuodis and Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis both filed for resignation, however Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte would not satisfy their resignation letters. LG CEO Mantas Bartuska also announced about his likely resignation. </p> <p>   </p> <p> LZD has received official confirmation from the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury that it is not bound by the sanctions announced by the US against Belaruskali. However, the Lithuanian government has declared an intention to have transit stopped by early 2022. End </p> <p>   </p> <p>   </p>

2021-12-23

Primepress