PM promises tit-for-tat response to seizure of Belarusian property abroad
16:43, 11 August
Belarus is set to provide tit-for-tat response to the aggressive economic actions of unfriendly countries, Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko told the media after a meeting hosted by the head of state on 11 August to discuss the steps to set up port facilities for Belarusian export, BelTA has learned.
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When asked about the measures Belarus intends to take in connection with the seizure of property in Lithuania, Latvia and other countries, Roman Golovchenko said: “We are already working on claims. In fact, we cannot realize our commercial interests”.
“We are working out our countermeasures. Everything will be done in a civilized manner. All the property of both legal entities and individuals of unfriendly states in the Republic of Belarus has been identified and counted,” Roman Golovchenko said.
The head of government assured that there will be no aggressive actions on the part of Belarus: "We are committed to building civilized trade and commercial relations. But when aggressive economic actions are used against us, we will not keep silent. At the very least, mirror steps will follow. But we will continue to appeal to the voice of reason in the hope of someone hearing it."
As BelTA reported, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko demanded to take measures in response to Lithuania's seizure of our stake in the port of Klaipeda, during a government meeting convened on 11 August. In addition to the sanctions regarding the transportation of potash fertilizers, Lithuania also actually seized the property of a Belarusian company in Klaipeda. Since 2013 Belaruskali has owned 30% of the shares of the Klaipeda bulk cargo terminal BKT.
"Not only are the sanctions illegitimate. They've also seized our property," Aleksandr Lukashenko addressed the meeting participants.
"They stole from us," Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko said.
"This should not go unpunished," the president stressed. “Think of the measures we can take in the near future and in the medium term. No one is allowed to seize our property. It is not enough that they went after our sanatorium that treated Chernobyl cleanup workers [Belarus sanatorium in Latvia's Jurmala was forced to close down due to the sanctions], but they started seizing our property. That's a lot of money. Therefore, we should be taking measures today and tomorrow and the day after tomorrow."
