MINSK, December 27. /ITAR-TASS/. New owners of Russian potash producer Uralkali are set to resume cooperation with its Belarusian partner Belaruskali, Russian ambassador to Belarus Alexander Surikov told a news conference on Friday.

“After the change of owners — shareholders were replaced by Uralchem (the world’s second largest ammonium nitrate producer) and structures of Prokhorov (Russian tycoon-turned-politician) — Uralkali is ready to restore cooperation with Belaruskali,” he said.

The Russian side “acted thoughtlessly and did not calculate all consequences” from the collapse of the potash cartel, but “both sides were to blame,” he said.

“The joint marketing of potash fertilizers should be restored. Most probably this would happen,” Surikov said, adding that this would be advantageous for both sides.

In late July Uralkali announced its decision to withdraw from Belarusian Potash Company, the Minsk-based venture of Uralkali and Belaruskali, motivating its decision by Belarus’s potassium chloride deliveries outside their joint company.

At the end of August Uralkali CEO Vladislav Baumgertner accused of abuse of power was arrested in Minsk. Later he was extradited to Russia.