Finland Makes Exception For Passage Of Fertilizer Cargo In Kotka Port - Foreign Ministry

HELSINKI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd March, 2023) The Finnish Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it has allowed the transportation of a cargo of Russian fertilizers detained in connection with EU sanctions against Russia in the port of Kotka.

On March 9, media reported that the Smew cargo ship, with a cargo of Russian fertilizers, was detained in Kotka due to suspicions that part of the cargo is connected with a Russian individual included in the EU sanctions list.

"The (Finnish) government received a request from a fertilizer buyer for an exception to the rules on March 19.

The ministry granted permission on March 22. The granted permission is due to the fact that fertilizers will be sent to a third country to promote food security," the statement said.

The ministry clarified that the EU sanctions legislation does not prevent the import of fertilizers from Russia to the European Union or their transit through the territory of the Union, however, according to the EU's individual sanctions against Russia, assets and economic resources owned or controlled by a sanctioned person must be frozen in the member state.