Russian Oligarch Wants to Buy Belaruskali

Russian potash fertilizer producer Uralkali is negotiating the acquisition of majority interests in Belarusian sector company Belaruskali, in a drive to create the top global potash fertilizer company, Russian newspaper Vedomosti reported.

Suleiman Kerimov, holding 25% in Uralkali, has offered Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko to buy 51% in state-owned Belaruskali for USD7.5bn (EUR5.8bn), a source close to a Uralkali shareholder told the paper.

Pavel Legkiy, a spokesman for the Belarusian president, denied the speculation on the president’s meeting with Kerimov.