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Kaliningrad expects Lithuania’s decision on rail transit this week — Governor

The region intends to continue seeking after cancellation of all transit restrictions, including for motor transport

KALININGRAD, July 19. /TASS/. Authorities of the Kaliningrad Region expect Lithuania’s decision on the rail transit to the region by the end of this week, Governor Anton Alikhanov told reporters on Friday.

Lithuania halted rail and motor transit of goods shipped to the Kaliningrad Region from other Russian regions and included into EU sanction list in June. The European Commission issued guidance last week, lifting rail transit restrictions but keeping the ban on the motor transit.

"Lithuania should now approve their certain internal regulations and standards in accordance with their decision. We assume it will take place this week; at least such information is within the framework of contacts with charge d’affaires down the line of the [Russian] Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We expect this will occur soon. Otherwise this will certainly be protraction over time," the Governor said.

The region intends to continue seeking after cancellation of all transit restrictions, including for motor transport, the Governor said. "We continue struggling and consider necessary to lift <...> restrictions in respect of motor transport," he added.

Alikhanov noted that other restrictions like control of goods and suspicions of sanctions’ circumvention are unlawful and unrelated to transit. "Speaking about the circumvention of sanctions, no circumvention of sanctions, especially that we do not recognize them at all, can be a priori in trade among regions of the Russian Federation, and therefore there should be no problems in this regard," the Governor said.

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