MINSK, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Belarus is preparing to impose symmetrical tough retaliatory measures against Lithuania after Vilnius decided to limit the transportation of Belarusian potash fertilizers through its territory, Belarussian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko said on Tuesday.
Golovchenko confirmed that the Lithuanian side stopped accepting Belarusian trains that transported potash to the port of Klaipeda for shipment, according to BelTA News Agency.
Lithuania has violated the intergovernmental agreement on railway communication and the provisions regulating transit issues for countries that do not have access to the sea, he said.
On Monday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko instructed the government to implement a number of retaliatory measures if the Lithuanian side bans the transit of Belarusian cargo.
Lukashenko said that Belarus is ready to negotiate with the countries of Eastern Europe, but it will not tolerate growing pressure.
State-owned Lithuanian Railways on Monday announced that it would stop transporting Belarus-produced potash after the Lithuanian government in earlier January terminated the transport agreement between its railway company and Belaruskali, which is a state-owned potash producer in Belarus.
Belaruskali, the world's second-largest producer of the crop fertilizer, was sanctioned by the United States in August last year. The discussion of a revocation of the agreement has been simmering for months in Lithuania, a firm U.S. ally. ■