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Russia threatens to revise attitude to joint projects with Belarus

Russia may revise its attitude to some joint projects with Belarus in retaliation for the arrest of Uralkali Director General Vladislav Baumgertner, Denis Manturov, minister of industry and trade, said on Friday.

He described the executive's arrest as absurd. "And this point of view is of course shared by our country's leaders," the RBC news agency quoted him as saying. "That's why if our businesspeople are targeted by such tough ill-founded sanctions, we will treat their proposals and cooperation with their companies in the same manner."

Mr. Manturov said that Russia had the tools to provide a response to Mr. Baumgertner's arrest, but no decision had yet been made whether to use them.

The minister would not speak in detail about possible retaliatory measures. //BelaPAN