There should be no problems with payments for the transit of Russian goods via Lithuania to Kaliningrad from September 1, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Lansbergis has said.
“Based on the information I am aware of, settlement issues should be resolved,” Lansbergis told reporters at the Seimas on August 23.
There are no sanctions on payments for the transit of Russian goods, according to the minister.
“This means that a commercial solution is needed here to allow payment for the services provided, and the state company Lithuanian Railways (LTG) and perhaps the state institutions supervising it – the Transport and Communications Ministry – are responsible for the payment,” he said.
Payments for sanctioned goods and services between Russian and Lithuanian companies are still taking place, which proves that payments are possible, according to Landsbergis.
“Are there technical solutions? Yes, there are. Am I going to advise everybody now? No, I am not going to advise them. I don’t think that state institutions or politicians should become assistants to Russia,” he said.
Lithuanian institutions and commercial banks are still figuring out how Russia should pay for the transit of its sanctioned goods to Kaliningrad. Lithuania’s Siauliu Bankas said it would stop processing such payments as of September 1, fearing that such actions could violate international sanctions.
Lithuania’s Financial Crime Investigation Service previously confirmed that exceptions might be made for the processing of such payments, adding, however, that each situation would be assessed on an individual basis
LTG resumed the transit of sanctioned goods on July 22, following the European Commission’s clarification that a limited amount of goods can be transported by rail between Russia and Kaliningrad. (LRT/Business World Magazine)