No talks on Belarusian potash transit — Lithuanian PM adviser

Lithuania is not holding any negotiations on the transit of Belarusian potash through its territory. This was stated by adviser to the Lithuanian prime minister Ignas Dobrovolskas.

A day earlier, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said that the US administration had begun pressuring Lithuania to restore transit of Belarusian potash fertilizers, and his remarks were widely circulated in the media.

“The minister’s statements and their context should first be commented on by the Foreign Ministry itself. I can repeat the position expressed by the prime minister. We are grateful to the United States for its efforts to help resolve issues related to Belarus in such areas as truck movement, incidents involving weather balloons, and the release of political prisoners. However, no negotiations are being held on the transit of Belarusian fertilizers through Lithuania,” DELFI quoted Dobrovolskas as saying.

He added that Lithuania supports the sanctions imposed by the European Union against Belarus.

“Under the current EU sanctions, the issue of fertilizer transit cannot be discussed,” he said.

Dobrovolskas also commented on the possibility of a meeting between Lithuanian and Belarusian representatives at the technical level. According to him, such a meeting would only be possible under the conditions previously voiced by the Lithuanian prime minister: after incidents involving weather balloons stop, all detained trucks are returned without additional charges, and illegal migration across the border is halted.

Budrys also said that Lithuania adheres to the EU’s common sanctions policy, so there is currently no point in discussing the lifting of sanctions.