The news outlet BelTA reports that on 23 November in the course of the republican meeting President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko demanded that the government promptly resolve the issues with unsettled debts of Belarus companies for the construction projects carried out overseas.
Among other things the President of Belarus mentioned Turkmenistan’s debt for the construction works of Garlyk mining and refining facility.
I am being informed that the payment for the construction of Garlyk mining and refining facility has not been received so far. The government should undertake prompt measures to resolve these issues. If needed, you should involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our representatives in the Eurasian Economic Commission, President Lukashenko said.
Let us recall that on 5 November 2018 President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov expressed extreme discontent with the performance of Garlyk mining and refining facility.
According to Turkmen media outlets, the facility’s output is just 2,3% (32,3 thousand tons) of the projected volume of fertilizers.
In this connection the Turkmen President instructed that the shortcomings be reviewed and documents to file a petition to the International Court of Arbitration be prepared.
Garlyk mining and refining facility worth $1,1 billion which was built by Belarus construction company “Belgorkhimprom” was commissioned on 31 March 2017.
In July 2018 it became known that the Turkmen side owed the Belarus contractor $42,7 mln.
The Belarus website “charter97” reported that “there are doubtful prospects of recovering the debt from the official Ashgabat since Turkmenistan is undergoing a severe economic crisis”.