Lithuanian Railways set to return Belaruskali advance payment for fertilizer transportation
The Lithuanian state railway company is looking for ways to return the advance payment for potash transportation by Belaruskali in 2022, Delfi reports.
“Our goal is to return the money for January and February, we’ll be looking for ways to send it back,” Lithuanian Railways spokesman Mantas Dubauskas told BNS.
According to him, the company had already tried to repay this additional advance via Swedbank on December 7, the day before the U.S. sanctions against Belaruskali came into force. Still, the money was returned to the railroad account on December 8, as the Russian correspondent VTB bank, servicing Belaruskali, rejected the funds’ transfer.
Dubauskas did not name the amount of the refund. BNS estimates could amount to approximately €10 million for two months of transportation services.
Two ministers in Lithuania said they were ready to resign because of the “reputational damage to Lithuania” over the situation with U.S. sanctions against Belaruskali. They took effect on December 8, but the Lithuanian railroad continues to transport the Belarusian fertilizers — because the shipment has already been paid for.
Minister of Transport Marius Skuodis suggested imposing national sanctions against the transit of potash from Belarus. Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte stressed that she did not see any possibility to continue this transit.
