Lithuania Seeks to Placate Belarus Exporters, VZ Reports

Lithuania’s government wants to placate Belarus exporters after a decision by oil terminal Klaipedos Nafta AB (KNF1L) to handle Belarusian products through a Russian intermediary, Verslo Zinios reported.

Belarusian companies account for a third of the cargo passing through Lithuania’s Baltic Sea port of Klaipeda, and could redirect other exports such as fertilizer to ports elsewhere, the newspaper cited Lithuanian Transport Minister Eligijus Masiulis as saying.

As of Oct. 1, Klaipedos Nafta began using OAO Lukoil’s Litasco unit as its supplier of Belarusian oil, replacing a Belarusian logistics company, on the ground that Litasco offered better terms, VZ reported. The terminal says it will stay in contact with Belarusian suppliers and handle their oil products when capacity is available, according to the newspaper.

To contact the reporter on this story: Aaron Eglitis in Riga at aeglitis@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Balazs Penz at bpenz@bloomberg.net