Grodno Azot (
''Belarusian'' «Гро́дна Азо́т») is an open joint-stock company, Belarusian state-run producer of nitrogen compounds and fertilizers located in
Grodno, Belarus
Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish b ...
.
History
The construction of temporary auxiliary facilities started in October 1960. In January 1965, the first lines of Ammiak-1 and Karbamid-1 workshops were put in operation. In October 1970, Grodno Nitrogen and Fertiliser Plant was transformed into Grodno Chemicals Plant named after Siarhei Prytytski. In May 1975, it was transformed into Grodno Production Association Azot named after Siarhei Prytytski.
In August 2000, the association was changed into a unitary enterprise and in 2002 it became
OJSC Grodno Azot.
Sanctions
In 2006, the United States imposed sanctions against nine Belarusian companies including Grodno Azot and its affiliate Grodno Khimvolokno for "undermining the democratic process”. In October 2015, the sanctions were partially lifted.
After the falsified
Belarusian Presidential elections on August 9, 2020, Grodno Azot workers joined the
opposition protests and national strike; however, many were detained and beaten by the police on multiple occasions.
In 2021, the United States reported that the sanctions against Grodno Azot can be renewed. On 30 March 2021, Grodno Azot's subsidiary announced a tender for the shipment of its goods. One of the terms of the tender was the possibility of not marking the affiliation of the cargo with the Grodno Azot. It was caused by the threat of sanctions, according to the tender documentation and media.
In April 2021, full-scale US sanctions against Grodno Azot and Grodno Khimvolokno were renewed. On 9 August 2021, the US has added Grodno Azot CEO Igor Lyashenko to the
SDN list
The Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, also known as the SDN List, is a United States government sanctions/embargo measure targeting U.S.-designated terrorists, officials and beneficiaries of certain authoritarian regimes, a ...
.
In September 2021, several Grodno Azot workers were detained.
[В Беларуси задерживают рабочих, которые заявляли о забастовках на своих предприятиях – "Вясна"]
/ref> New arrests were associated with the threat of Alexander Lukashenko that workers who reveal the ways of bypassing the sanctions would be put in jail for a long time.European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
sanctioned Grodno Azot and Grodno Khimvolokno. Switzerland joined the EU sanctions on December 20.
See also
* Economy of Belarus
The economy of Belarus is an upper-middle income mixed economy. As a post-Soviet transition economy, Belarus rejected most privatisation efforts in favour of retaining centralised political and economic controls by the state. The highly centralis ...
* Belneftekhim
Belneftekhim (full name: Belarusian state concern for oil and chemistry; russian: Белнефтехим, Белорусский государственный концерн по нефти и химии; be, Белнафтахім — Бел ...
References
{{Reflist
Bibliography
Официальный сайт
Гродненское производственное объединение «Азот» им. С. О. Притыцкого
*[https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/10/belarus-amid-vicious-crackdown-on-peaceful-protesters-authorities-arrest-workers-planning-strike/. Belarus: Amid vicious crackdown on peaceful protesters, authorities arrest workers planning strike]
Grodno
Grodno Region
Companies of Belarus
Chemical industry
Chemical engineering organizations
Belarusian entities subject to the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctions
Chemical companies of the Soviet Union