Belarus has publicly indicated a willingness to ease the restrictions on Belarusian potash fertilizer exports, with the pledge coming through a appearance on a Belarusian TV channel by Sergei Aleynik, the head of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and confirmed by ONT. The statement underscored a cooperative stance aimed at repairing trade channels and ensuring crucial agricultural inputs remain accessible to farmers around the world.
Aleynik stressed that Turkey has fully demonstrated its readiness to support the process of lifting these restrictions. He framed potash fertilizers as essential goods for crop production and global food security, noting that countries in the global South rely on steady access to these nutrients to sustain yields and stabilize food prices. The minister’s remarks place emphasis on agriculture as a security concern, linking fertilizer availability to resilience in food systems and the livelihoods of rural communities.
From his perspective, the UN has repeatedly highlighted food insecurity as a mounting risk, and Aleynik argued that sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union on fertilizers complicate relief efforts and aggravate hunger. He urged a pragmatic approach to diplomacy and commerce, insisting that dialogue and limited restrictions could ease tensions while supporting vulnerable populations that are most at risk from supply gaps and price volatility.
On the bilateral level, Aleynik reiterated Belarus and Turkey’s intent to deepen cooperation within a direct, country-to-country format. He reminded observers that Turkey depends heavily on Belarus for fertilizer supplies, with a significant portion of Turkey’s needs currently sourced from Belarus. The exchange highlighted a potential win-win scenario in which both economies can benefit from stable demand and predictable trade flows, reducing the risk of shortages for key agricultural sectors in both nations and neighboring markets that rely on similar supply chains.
In related developments, Belarusian officials noted that Potassium fertilizer shipments to Iran were discussed for delivery in early November. Alireza Sanei, Iran’s ambassador to Minsk, indicated that negotiations with Belarus had culminated in a plan to supply around 400,000 tons, signaling a growing regional linkage in agricultural trade and a willingness to diversify partners amid broader geopolitical tensions. The proposed shipment would contribute to Iran’s own agricultural production and food security goals, illustrating how fertilizer diplomacy can supplement traditional diplomatic channels even in times of sanctions and sanctions-related pressure.
Meanwhile, analysts have observed that the evolving exchange of fertilizers is taking place within a broader context of economic sanctions and countermeasures. The consequences of US sanctions on Arctic LNG-2, for example, have been cited by some observers as a reminder that energy and commodity markets remain tightly interwoven with political strategy. In this environment, Belarus’s fertilizer program is framed as both a commercial operation and a strategic instrument that could influence regional market stability, bilateral leverage, and the ability of various economies to weather external shocks. The dialogue continues as ministries on all sides assess risks, opportunities, and the practical steps needed to translate political commitments into tangible shipments, mutual interests, and predictable supply chains for farmers who feed households across continents.