MOSCOW: Belarusian authorities detained the head of Russia's top potash producer Uralkali after he met with Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich, a spokesman for the Russian firm said on Monday.
Belarus, led by President Alexander Lukashenko since 1994, is a staunch Russian ally, but Uralkali's surprise decision to quit a joint trading venture with the Belarus Potash Co (BPC) in July strained relations between the two countries.
Vladislav Baumgertner, also a supervisory board member at BPC, has been held on suspicion of abusing his position and official powers, according to the Belarusian Investigative Committee.
"He (Baumgertner) was in Minsk at the invitation of Prime Minister Myasnikovich. He met with him, and after the meeting he was detained at the airport," said Uralkali representative Alexander Babinski.
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