MINSK, October 2 (RAPSI) – Interpol officially informed Minsk that Uralkali shareholder and Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov has not been placed on the international wanted list, Belarusian interior minister Igor Shunevich told journalists on Wednesday.

He explained that the matter has not yet been decided upon by a designated Interpol commission, and added that the information required for the list is in the Interpol database.

The arrest warrant is an escalation of the criminal case facing businessmen linked to Uralkali after the company’s CEO, Vladislav Baumgertner, was arrested in September in Minsk's airport following a reported invitation from Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich to attend an official meeting.

In July, Uralkali, the world's biggest potash producer, dissolved an international cartel with Belarusian potash giant Belaruskali, blaming Minsk for violating their cooperation agreement. The move sent shares in fertilizer producers tumbling worldwide and has precipitated a steady fall in fertilizer prices as consumers and traders anticipate a spike in competition for customers.

Kerimov, Russia’s 20th-richest person with a fortune of $7.1 billion according to Forbes Magazine, is wanted for abuse of power and official authority, BelTA reported, citing Belarus’ Investigative Committee. Like Baumgertner, the charges against Kerimov are linked to his involvement in the Belarus Potash Company, the trading firm jointly owned by Belaruskali and Uralkali through which all their potash exports were channeled prior to the split.