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Crisis in Belarus

Loss of Belarusian fertilizer transit to require 60 mln euro of subsidies — railway CEO

Mantas Bartuska pointed out that the whole export transit chain of Belarusian fertilizers would lose 100 mln euro

VILNIUS, August 12. /TASS/. The loss of Belarusian potash fertilizer transit to the port of Klaipeda will require 60 mln euro of subsidies for railway infrastructure maintenance, CEO of the Lithuanian railway operator Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai Mantas Bartuska told reporters on Thursday.

"Costs required to maintain the infrastructure can be shuffled off to other clients or rail tariffs can be raised by 30%," Bartuska said. "A 60 mln euro subsidy is required to the effect that this does not take place," he noted.

The whole export transit chain of Belarusian fertilizers will lose 100 mln euro, Bartuska added.

The export of Belarusian fertilizers produced by companies hit by US sanctions will end in December of this year, Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications Marius Skuodis said earlier on Thursday.

In 2020, Lithuanian railways carried about 11 mln tonnes of Belarusian fertilizers. Belarusian goods provided for about 30% of Klaipeda port throughput until recently.

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Trade & Cooperation

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