The Lithuanian parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs is discussing a proposal by a group of MPs to restrict the activities of Lithuanian residents and businesses in Russia.
The so-called Lopata Resolution (named after liberal MP Raimundas Lopata, one of the authors of the proposal formally entitled On Limiting Terrorist Russia’s Influence) was discussed at a close-door committee on January 11.
The document aims to indicate ways for the government and Lithuanian businesses to distance themselves from Russia by practically consolidating its status as a “terrorist state”.
The final text of the resolution, which is not a legally binding document, will be revealed after the committee debate, Zygimantas Pavilionis, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, has said.
“We will hear comments on the resolution. During its drafting time, the European Parliament also adopted a very important resolution drawing attention to the same thing that our initiators are trying to draw attention to, namely, the fact that there’s no legal framework in the European Union itself, which defines what a terrorist state is and what action should be taken after the decision to designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism,” Pavilionis said.
Committee members should discuss steps Lithuania could take but they would have to be coordinated with Brussels, he said.
“If we want a serious impact, we need to make EU-level changes,” Pavilionis said.
The proposed resolution stipulates that the Lithuanian government should adopt and put before the parliament legislation requiring all Lithuanian residents and companies operating in Russia or representing Russians in Lithuania to register with government bodies and indicate the nature of their activities, their plans, and why they have not discontinued operations in Russia.
Moreover, the legislation should ban companies from “terrorist states” from conducting operations in Lithuania or owning real estate without government permission. The State Security Department should step up export controls on strategic goods, the resolution says.
One of the resolution’s nine proposals is to make effort to get as many countries as possible to recognise Russia as a terrorist state. (LRT/Business World Magazine)