{"id":176214,"date":"2026-02-18T15:58:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T12:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/176214\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"lithuania-allocates-additional-e800000-for-legal-dispute-with-bielaruskalij","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/176214\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuania allocates additional \u20ac800,000 for legal dispute with Bie\u0142aru\u015bkalij"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

February 18, Pozirk.<\/strong> The Lithuanian government on February 18 allocated an additional \u20ac800,000 to cover lawyers\u2019 fees in international litigation with Belarus\u2019 potash giant Bie\u0142aru\u015bkalij, which is seeking damages over Vilnius\u2019 2022 decision to ban the transit of fertilizers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damages are also being sought by Switzerland\u2019s Hasenberg, indirectly controlled by Lithuanian citizen Igor Udovitsky, Kauno diena<\/em> reported, citing BNS<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specifically, the Lithuanian government paid \u20ac287,400 to Ellex Vali\u016bnas ir partneriai and its partner Allen Overy Shearman Sterling for legal services provided between July and September 2025 in the dispute with Hasenberg. It also paid \u20ac537,800 to Ellex Vali\u016bnas ir partneriai and its partner Covington & Burling for legal services in the dispute with Bie\u0142aru\u015bkalij.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In November, Delfi<\/em> reported that the Lithuanian government had spent more than \u20ac1 million on the litigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian company accuses Lithuania\u2019s state-owned railway company Lietuvos gele\u017einkeliai (LTG) of terminating a contract early in February 2022. The agreement had been due to run until the end of 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas in February 2025 described the legal action as a tool of political pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hasenberg holds a 65 percent stake in Klaip\u0117da\u2019s Biri\u0173 Krovini\u0173 Terminalas (BKT). Bie\u0142aru\u015bkalij owns 30 percent of the terminal, while Udovitsky personally holds the remaining 5 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bie\u0142aru\u015bkalij has been under EU sanctions since 2021 over allegations of human rights abuses. Its former CEO Ivan Ha\u0142avaty was also sanctioned for his links to Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and his family members, as well as for alleged involvement in politically motivated reprisals at the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bie\u0142aru\u015bkalij remains a key source of income for the \u0141uka\u0161enka regime and enjoys preferential treatment in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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