Poland, Latvia, Lithuania to block Belarusian fertiliser transit - Nauseda
Lithuania has received assurances from the leaders of Poland and Latvia that the countries will maintain a common position against the possible transit of fertilisers from Belarus through their territories, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has announced.
In mid-December the United States promised to lift sanctions on Belarusian fertiliser exports in exchange for the release of over 100 political prisoners in Belarus.
In an interview with Lithuanian station TV3, quoted by the Baltic News Service (BNS) on Monday, Nauseda said that he had sought confirmation from Polish and Latvian leaders they would keep the sanctions in place.
"During recent meetings, both in Helsinki and Brussels, I spoke [with the leaders of Poland and Latvia]... about a hypothetical situation in which they were offered the export of Belarusian fertilisers through their ports," he told TV3.
"[The question was] whether [Poland and Latvia] would actually take as tough a stance as Lithuania. The answer was 'yes,'" Nauseda said.
He added that the United States is a country "located across the Atlantic and, undoubtedly, has a different geopolitical strategy." Lithuania, on the other hand, "is located in a part of the continent that could be called 'hot' where aggressive states operate."
"Flattering or kneeling before aggressive states means they will perceive you as weak and even more vulnerable, and such behaviour will likely only fuel their aggressive ambitions. That's why we stand by our position," Nauseda said.
Lithuania suspended the transit of Belarusian potash fertilisers through its Klaipeda port starting February 1, 2022, in response to US sanctions against Belarusian producer Belaruskali and later EU sanctions, cutting off a vital export route for Belarus, though Belarus seeks ways to bypass this, and Lithuania maintains its ban despite recent US sanctions relief for Belarus. (PAP)
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