Latvia blocked fertiliser shipment to SL for over two years, claims Russian Ambassador

Colombo, Dec 13 (Daily Mirror) - Russian Ambassador Levan S. Dzhagaryan alleged yesterday that Latvia, a European Union country, blocked a shipment of free fertiliser to Sri Lanka for over two years. 

The ship carrying 55,000 MT of Potassium Chloride fertiliser arrived at the Colombo harbour last morning. 

The consignment, granted by Russia under the World Food Programme, will be distributed to Sri Lankan farmers, with over 30,000 MT allocated to paddy farmers and the remainder to coconut cultivators.

Ambassador Dzhagaryan stated that the fertiliser, part of a 260,000 MT shipment, had been held at the Riga port since 2022 due to Western sanctions on Russia. 

"We were waiting for this fertiliser shipment to arrive for over two and a half years. Unfortunately, it was blocked in Latvia, one of the European Union countries, because of the illegal sanctions imposed against the Russian Federation. Finally, the shipment has reached Colombo," the Ambassador said.

He expressed gratitude to the Sri Lankan government, UN agencies and Uralchem Group for their support in facilitating the delivery.