Despite Alexander Lukashenko's threats to divert Belarusian cargo away from Lithuania's seaport, Belarusian goods are moving toward Klaipėda as usual, Transport Minister Jaroslav Narkevič has said.
Lukashenko has threatened to sanction Lithuania for supporting the opposition and protesters in Belarus. The Belarusian president, whose disputed re-election in August triggered mass protests, said he would redirect the Belarusian cargo from Klaipėda to Russian ports.
Read more: Belarus threatens sanctions on Lithuania to ‘show them their place’
“This is a political threat,” Narkevič told LRT RADIO on Tuesday. “We have been in contact with the seaport authority, Lietuvos Geležinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways) and the heads of other institutions. There are no disruptions to cargo shipments for now.”
However, the authorities are preparing for the possibility of Minsk halting Belarusian shipments via Lithuania, he added.
If Belarus diverts its cargo away from Klaipėda, that will affect the port, but “not in a very drastic way”, according to Narkevič.
The port of Klaipėda handled 14.1 million tons of Belarusian goods last year, accounting for just over 30 percent of its total cargo traffic of 46.3 million tons.
Read more: Klaipėda port should diversify in view of Lukashenko's threats, economist says
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