Belarus ready to sell up to 15 pct of its potash producer

Belarus is ready to sell 10-15 percent of shares of Belaruskali, the country's First Vice Premier Vladimir Semashko said Friday. Belarus is ready to offer only 10-15 percent of shares of Belarusian potash producer Belaruskali for sale at the initial stage, Semashko said at the Belarusian Investment Forum 2012 in Minsk. Belaruskali is one of the country's leading enterprises as well as its major asset. Before Belarusian Potash Company was set up, it earned about 760 million U.S. dollars per year. In 2008 raked in 3.5 billion U.S dollars. As the situation in Belarus is quite stable, Semashko stressed, there is no need to sell Belaruskali. "The price announced a year ago was 30 billion U.S. dollars. It is already a bit low for today. Now it is about 34-36 billion U.S. dollars. If there is any interest, please, we are ready to discuss this issue," Semashko said. Belarusian Potash Company is a joint venture between Russia's Uralkali, the world's largest producer of the crop nutrient by output, and Belarusian Belaruskali. The company controls 30 percent of the global potash fertilizer market.