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Kaliningrad transit does not fall under restrictions imposed by Lithuania

Details of commercial traffic are yet to be verified, the region’s Governor Anton Alikhanov added

KALININGRAD, September 13. /TASS/. The transit of cars, bound to Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, does not fall under the EU restrictions and proceeds without any problems, the region’s Governor Anton Alikhanov said, answering to questions by Kaliningrad residents.

"We have now received the Lithnian Foreign Ministry’s clarifications. No restrictions are applied regarding the so-called Kaliningrad transit, or the movement of Kaliningrad residents from the Kaliningrad Region to Russia’s main territory via Lithuania aboard vehicles with Kaliningrad license plates," Alikhanov said, adding that this applies only to personal transport.

Details of commercial traffic are yet to be verified, he added. The restrictions are also not applied to cargo trucks moving towards the Kaliningrad Region.

Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite said in an interview with the national radio LRT that Lithuanian customs authorities would impound any cars that try to enter the country with license plates registered in Russia in accordance with the EU Commission's latest interpretation of how sanctions apply to Russia,.

In her words, car owners who have documents proving that they are on transit to Kaliningrad, will be an exception from this rule.

The European Commission issued new clarifications regarding the application of sanctions against Russia on September 8. In accordance with them, a ban is imposed on imports from Russia to the EU of goods listed in Annex XXI to EU Directive No. 833/2014, regardless of the purpose of their use or period of stay in the EU, including "vehicles with a total number of seats less than 10." The EC emphasizes that "it does not matter whether the use of the vehicles is private or commercial." The list contains a wide range of all sorts of items, from cell phones and audio, video recording devices to suitcases, clothing items, toothpaste, shampoo and other hygiene products.