The European Commission will clarify its explanation on the implementation of the EU-sanctioned goods’ transit restrictions between mainland Russia and its Kaliningrad region, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on June 23.
“I will meet with the European Commission president. I will see the draft and I do believe that clarification will be published soon,” Nauseda told reporters in Brussels after arriving at the EU leaders’ meeting.
“I will not comment on its content because I do not want to comment on the content of documents that have not been published yet,” the president added.
He called it a “clarification on the transit of goods moving from mainland Russia to its enclave, to the Kaliningrad region”.
Lithuania last week stopped the transit of some goods sanctioned by the EU to Russia’s Kaliningrad region. Russia threatens to retaliate, although Lithuania maintains it has not imposed any unilateral restrictions and is only implementing EU sanctions.
Politico, an EU news website, also cited EC spokesman Eric Mamer and undisclosed sources on June 23 as saying that the Commission would issue further guidance on the application of these sanctions, allowing free transit of sanctioned goods.
Nauseda pointed out that Lithuania was in favour of the fourth sanction package for Russia, approved in March in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“However, when it comes to the actual practical application of the sanctions, we are talking about the European Commission’s responsibility to do so. It is doing so and I believe this will be announced soon,” the president said. (LRT/Business World Magazine)
