The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry agreed with the decision of the European Commission (EC) to return rail transit of sanctioned goods through the territory of the European Union to the Kaliningrad region. It is reported by Interfax.
The updated EC rules only ban road transport. At the same time, the previous rules allowed for a complete ban on ground transportation of sanctioned goods. The department noted that this option was the most acceptable. However, the Lithuanian authorities will continue to monitor whether Russia is abusing transit opportunities.
“Lithuania will effectively ensure the application of sanctions through careful monitoring, principled assessment and effective verification of whether Russia is trying to abuse transit opportunities. After revealing such cases or taking into account the interests of national security, Lithuania reserves the right to unilaterally prevent such attempts.”
On June 24, Lithuanian MEP Petras Auštrevičius announced that the European Commission had developed a document that would allow transporting sanctioned goods through the EU from Russia to the Kaliningrad region. According to Auštrevičius, the document could be published as early as next week, and Lithuania has the right to veto it.
Earlier, Lithuania stopped passing freight trains and cars with goods subject to EU sanctions through its territory. On June 20, the Charge d'Affaires of Lithuania was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. She was informed that if Lithuania does not restore transit in the near future, Russia reserves the right to take action to protect its national interests.
