Russia will ease its restrictions on transit cargoes being transported through Lithuania from next week. According to the director of Lithuania’s State Food and Veterinary Service, Jonas Milius, the cargoes that are "stuck" in the port of Klaipeda will be taken out from next Monday, The Baltic Course reports.
"There was a teleconference with Russia, and we discussed everything. These requirements will be eased for us from July 21. We can practically transport to Kazakhstan and Belarus as we used to. Regarding Russia, the new procedure remains, but it will be relaxed for certain cargoes," said Milius.
According to him, about 95% of the cargoes are foodstuffs that are being transported through Lithuania to Kazakhstan and Belarus.
"We have spoken a lot with the heads of the veterinary services of Belarus and Kazakhstan, as well as with Russian representatives. We said that we cannot physically do it (transport products only in containers without removal of seals). This applies to the entire EU, but this issue is especially relevant to Lithuania because this issue of logistics is very well-developed here," said Milius.
According to him, this issue was also discussed at the level of the European Union on Friday. "We talked about it, we discussed it with the European Commission on Friday, and the European Commission will contact Russia in writing, but it has now been relaxed," said Milius.
Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Oversight (Rosselkhoznadzor) said in July that food and raw materials could only be transported through Lithuania in containers without removal of seals from July 7. The Russian veterinary authorities are hoping that this will enable them to identify those responsible for the fact that goods that violate the requirements manage to arrive at customs. According to representatives of Russia, it is difficult to identify those responsible when seals are removed in the countries through which goods are transported on transit.
