Lithuania seeks alternatives to Belarusian fertilisers: „We have a specific plan“

„The agreement is important to us, and we have a specific plan. We had a virtual meeting with the Uzbek delegation, and now we will have an in-person meeting (ELTA). There are alternatives. At this point, it’s important to highlight Belarus’s position regarding the war in Ukraine and what their stance is on Russia—that’s the key issue,“ the minister told Žinių Radijas on Thursday.

„Lithuania itself has significant fertiliser (production—ELTA) capacity. Currently, these facilities are operating at only half capacity, so another option for us is to discuss the maximum productivity of the operational capacity and the cost price. Perhaps this could also lower the cost price, and we would negotiate with the farming community regarding memorandums so that we could use Lithuanian fertilisers and thus support Lithuanian producers while also ensuring an adequate fertiliser price,“ he emphasised.

As reported by ELTA, the EU extended sanctions against Belarus for another year in February.

In March, the United States (U.S.) lifted sanctions against two Belarusian banks, the Ministry of Finance, and Belarusian potash fertiliser companies. At the time, President Gitanas Nausėda stated that Lithuania and the EU continue to adhere to their principled position. He also noted that the U.S. decision should not be linked to the EU’s sanctions policy.

ELTA notes that last December, a U.S. special envoy indicated that discussions regarding sanctions on Belarusian fertilisers would continue.

The administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden imposed sanctions on Belarusian potash fertilisers in 2021—one year after the Belarusian presidential election, which Alexander Lukashenko illegally won.

In 2022, the EU also imposed sanctions on Belarusian fertilisers.

At that time, the Lithuanian state-owned company Lietuvos Geležinkeliai terminated the contract for fertiliser transit in accordance with a 2022 government decision stating that Belaruskalij poses a threat to national security. Until then, transit was supposed to continue until the end of 2023.