Lithuania consistently adheres to the sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus and implements new ones. The Ministry of Finance of Lithuania proposed to terminate the customs cooperation agreements signed with Russia and Belarus. The relevant draft government resolutions have already been prepared and are being considered.
Representatives of the ministry noted that since the beginning of Russia’s large-scale aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, Lithuanian customs have not cooperated or exchanged information with the customs services of Russia and Belarus.
However, according to the ministry, persons who have trade relations with these countries provide customs and courts with documents issued by the customs authorities of these countries as proof of the legality of trade and compliance with international sanctions.
The agreement with Belarus on cooperation in combating customs law violations was signed in July 1996 in Vilnius, and the agreement with Russia on cooperation and mutual assistance in customs activities was signed in February 1995 in Moscow. This denunciation of the agreement with Belarus, ratified in September 2000, has yet to be approved by the president and the Seimas.
Also, on August 16, Lithuania banned the entry of all cars registered in Belarus. The ban applies to passenger cars regardless of the nationality of the owner or driver.
It is this constant imposition of sanctions and daily assistance to Ukraine that should be exemplary for the EU countries.
