Large -caloric weapon

For which Minsk arrested the general director of Uralkalia

The arrest in Minsk, the general director of Uralkali, Vladislav Baumertner, immediately after his official meeting with the Belarusian Prime Minister, shocked Russian power structures. The “closest ally” in Moscow is already used to a complex and unpredictable temper. But no one expected such insidiousness

While the Director General of Uralkali languishes in the Minsk pre -trial detention center, the Berezniki (Perm Territory of the Russian Federation) continues to extract Potash on the mine

On August 26, at about 10 a.m., 40-year-old Baumertner, who also heads the supervisory board of the Belarusian potassium company (BKK), entered the office of Mikhail Myasnikovich. The invitation from him was also received by the chief shareholder of Uralkalia billionaire Suleiman Kerimov and the head of the board of directors Alexander Voloshin. But they could not arrive in Minsk. How they felt ...

The negotiations lasted about an hour and, according to the sources of The New Times in Minsk, ended in high colors. After that, Baumertner got into the car and went to the Minsk airport. There was no guard with him. During the pre -flight inspection, he was announced about the need for additional verification. "Cause?" -"Yes, something is incomprehensible ... Are you accidentally not taking drugs?"

Prisoner of "American"

At 13.00, two employees of the Belarusian Investigative Committee (two more from the republican KGB were given to them) were handcuffed on Baumertner and took away the KGB (in the common people - “American”) in the center of Minsk. For such efficiency, the local security forces created all the conditions: in order to arrest someone, Belarus does not need a court decision, the permission of the general prosecutor is enough.

An hour later, the SK released an official message about the detention of Baumertner. At the same time, Baumerter detention at the Belarusian television channels at the airport was held: one of the most influential top managers in Russia searched as an ordinary drug courier. But soon the press secretary of the Belarusian SK Pavel Trawko pointed out the true reason for the detention: "Explicit abuse of official powers for selfish purposes, resulting in significant harm to the state and public interests of the country."

Vladislav Baumgertner was detained as a stagnant drug courier

“Baumertner was still lucky - everyone told about him right away,” the opposition Belarusian journalist Svetlana Kalinkina notes in a conversation with The NEW Times. “Usually, a person disappears, relatives begin to look for him, and only then it turns out that he was detained on some charges.”

Closer to the evening of August 26, Pavel Trawko spoke out with detailed explanations: Uralkali's highest management tried to bring down the potash fertilizer market in order to weaken the positions of other manufacturers. So the Belarusian SK not only stood up for the national budget, which had lost $ 100 million as a result of the machinations of international raiders, but also saved from the similar fate of Canadian and German potassium producers. Where did the amount of damage come from and whether Baumertner violated at least one article of the Belarusian Criminal Code, Mr. Trayko did not report.

The Belarusian blogosphere immediately reminded him: Saudi Arabia is also trying to influence oil prices in the world market alone. Is it not worth in this regard by Belarusian investigators to think about criminal cases against the Saudi royal court?

In the pre -trial detention center, Baumertner was informed that he was detained "for at least two months." He did not admit his guilt. The first deputy prime minister of the Government of the Russian Federation Igor Shuvalov, the chairman of the Federation Council, Mikhail Margelov, Governor of the Perm Territory (where Uralkali pays taxes pays) Viktor Basargin, made the Russian Federation, was sentenced to Minsk. Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev were silent (formally scandal - not the level of first persons), but for them everything was voiced by the head of Rospotrebnadzor Gennady Onishchenko, who suddenly had claims to the quality of Belarusian milk supplied to Russia, and Transneft immediately reduced the supply of oil products in the Republic of Belarus by 400 thousand tons (in total, 5.78 million were delivered in 2013 tons. But formidable shouts from Moscow did not impress Minsk.

On the 27th, the mother of Vladislav Baumgertner flew to Minsk. She was not allowed on a date with her son, she asked to give him the necessary things - socks, underpants, sweater, but only toothpaste and brush were allowed. Elistically moving over for more than an hour in front of the pre -trial detention center, an elderly woman flew to Moscow. Russian diplomats have achieved the right to visit the prisoner of the “American” only on August 30.

Fatal miscalculation

In 2009, “Uralkali” and its main competitor, the second largest global producer of potassium fertilizers “Belaruskali” united in the export cartel*. It was decided that all export supplies of both enterprises will now pass through the new trader - the Belarusian potassium company (BKK). At first, luck is accompanied by partners: the cartel controls 42% of the global potassium fertilizer market, selling chemicals together and creating an artificial deficit for its main buyers - India and China. For their main goods, Potash, partners managed to raise the price of $ 140 per ton in 2001-2006 to $ 420 in 2007-2011. And although there are no open figures for the profit and revenue of Belaruskalia, it is easy to evaluate the economic effect by the quotes of shares of his Russian partner: from the beginning of 2009 to August 2011, they have grown in price by nine times. Revenue in 2012 amounted to $ 5.4 billion.

And in December 2012, Alexander Lukashenko unexpectedly intervenes in the situation: he signs a decree on the deprivation of the BCC of the status of a monopolist in the sale of Belaruskali products in foreign markets. Simply put, Minsk now wants to sell its fertilizers bypassing the cartel through independent traders. The leadership of Uralkali tried to “reason” Lukashenko: no need to increase fertilizer export supplies, otherwise the price of them will inevitably fall and both partners will suffer. Did not work. And then since the spring of 2013, Uralkali also begins to sell its products “to the left” - through the Swiss “daughter” UKT.

On July 30, Uralkali announces the final break in relations with the BKK: "Cooperation has come to a dead end." In one day, the shares of a Russian company are getting cheaper by 19%. It is curious, however, three days before this announcement, the top management of Uralkalia began to “throw off” shares of its own company on the exchange. “Which, apparently, gave an occasion to the Belarusian side on August 28 to blame the Russians of“ fraud ”in order to inflict the maximum damage to Belaruskalia.

The gap with Uralkali really put Belarusians in an extremely difficult position. “All sales managers have gone to the Russians - because there are incomparable salaries with ours. As a result, we lost all contacts with customers, ”complains The New Times on anonymity conditions of one of the Belaruskali top managers. And he adds: - Of course, it is difficult to find an article in our Criminal Code that the actions of Russians would fall under, what they did is just ugly, now we have real sales problems. ” Li Lukashenko himself acted “beautifully” by signing that December decree that destroyed the initial agreements of the parties, the interlocutor of the magazine was difficult to give a response.

Be that as it may, Belarus decided, without putting it off in a long box, to look for new sales markets: on August 5, Belaruskali signed an agreement on partnership with the Qatari concern Muntajat, the largest fertilizer in the Middle East. But soon the Belarusians came to a sad conclusion: with the help of this transaction, they will not fit the loss of the union with the Uralkali. And no other sales markets after the unfortunate decree Lukashenko were found. What to do? Minsk covered panic. A week before Baumertner’s trip “On a visit”, President Lukashenko openly said: “Belaruskalia” “In no case” cannot be lost “Uralkali”.

But it was too late. Myasnikovich at the meeting on August 25 could not convince Baumerther to restore the cartel. And Tom - it was not possible to fly away from Minsk: his arrest personally authorized Lukashenko.

Dangerous game

What now? “Such things cannot be forgiven. And if Russia allows itself to be blackmail, then it will be completely unacceptable. I think it is time to apply special methods of influence in relation to the Old Man, ”said the Prochrevsky journalist, the chief editor of the magazine“ However ”Mikhail Leontyev. - We remember what he (Lukashenko) he made in the past somersaults and how he was brought to his senses. This is a Somali pirate! ”

However, this has its own arguments: Uralkali, before the refusal to cooperate with the BKK, withdrew its funds from it, said the I.O. Deputy General Director of BKK Konstantin Deduk. In addition, the last five vessels with potassium fertilizers were rewritten from the BKK to the subsidiary of Uralkali, and the money for the cargo came to her account. “This became possible, since the backbone of the BKC was made up by Uralkali employees,” Deduk explained.

Suleiman Kerimov, the chief shareholder of Uralkalia, also waited for a visit in Minsk

Belarusian experts talk about another, much more serious background of the scandal. At the end of the year, Lukashenko and Putin will hold a meeting at which a number of serious economic issues will have to be discussed: from the coordination of oil supplies to Belarusian refineries and gas prices to the possible privatization of the largest Belarusian enterprises. In October 2012, two months before the signing of that ill -fated “potassium decree”, Lukashenko said that he was offered a bribe of $ 5 billion for consent to sell Belaruskali for $ 10 billion, the cost of which the Belarusian authorities estimated at $ 30 billion. Those who proposed, Lukashenko did not specify, but all so guessed: Suleiman Kerimov. Most likely, in winter negotiations, the Kremlin will again raise the issue of selling a large package of shares of Belaruskali - already at a much lower price.

“The Old Man went to Va-Bank,” the Belarusian political analyst Alexander Klakovsky suggested in a conversation with the magazine. - If he wins in this “nerves game”, he will be able to achieve good compensation for “divorce” with Uralkali, new concessions on oil and gas, as well as, possibly, new loans. Taking a hostage, he is trying to increase the rates at negotiations with the Kremlin. ”

But is Lukashenko leading a very risky game? On the one hand, the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation has already assured: the scandal around the arrest of Baumertner will not delay the issue of issuing Belarus the next tranche of $ 450 million according to the year before last loan of the EurAsEC. On the other hand, Belarusian exporters of dairy products are already suffering. Yes, and Russian oil in Belarus has become less - exactly a quarter. And oil is not potassium, without it-at all.

On August 30, on the birthday of the Old Man, another formidable statement was made from Moscow: the requirement to “immediately free Baumgernner” was voiced by the assistant to the President of the Russian Federation Yuri Ushakov. And in Minsk on the same day, a rumor was held: potassium mining in Belarus was suspended indefinitely-due to lack of demand.

Photos: Vladimir Fedorenko/RIA Novosti, Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg/Getty Images, screenshot with YouTube