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Belarus allows Russian diplomats to meet with Uralkali CEO

The meeting will be held later on Thursday

Vladislav Baumgertner, Photo ITAR-TASS/Uralkali OJSC Press Service

Vladislav Baumgertner, Photo ITAR-TASS/Uralkali OJSC Press Service

MINSK, August 29 (Itar-Tass) - Russian diplomats in Belarus have received official permission from the republic's authorities to meet with Uralkali CEO Vladislav Baumgertner who was detained in the Belarusian capital and is kept in a pre-trial detention center of the Belarusian National Security Committee.

"We have permission for a meeting," a Russian diplomat told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

A Russian consulate service representative told Itar-Tass that Russian diplomats in Belarus would meet with Vladislav Baumgertner later on Thursday.

Uralkali Director General Vladislav Baumgеrtner was detained in Minsk on Monday. The Belarusian authorities accuse him of misuse of $100 million and said they would check the activity of the key company owner, Suleiman Kerimov, whose fund has a 21.75% stake in Uralkali.

The Belarusian Investigative Committee said Baumgеrtner had been arrested on the strength of evidence about company top managers' abuse of office powers. It caused damage to the state and public interests of Belarus, as well as to Belaruskali and the Belarusian Potassium Company.

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