"As regards the expediency of sanctions, more precisely their effectiveness, we may discuss this extensively and are doing so in the European Union. However, the new Government is not planning to waive any sanctions packages or to dispute them altogether," Paluckas said Thursday at a meeting with the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrat (TS-LKD) political group.
According to the politician, as regards relations with Russia and Belarus, the new majority will strive to maintain the consensus reached in the previous parliamentary term. He said that the European Union has shaped its policy towards Belarus and Eastern Partnership in general. He thus stressed that the Social Democrats and the new Government "would not improvise".
Furthermore, Paluckas said that he had met with Vilius Nikitinas, a lawyer representing Klaipėda-based company Birių krovinių terminalas (BKT) that handled Belarusian company’s Belaruskali fertiliser freight.
The politician stated that the application of sanctions was discussed and a dispute between Belaruskali and Lithuania would be settled in international arbitrage. The Belarusian company demands Lithuania to compensate billions in alleged damages after the company’s fertiliser transit through Lithuania was suspended due to sanctions. Belaruskali owns 30 percent of shares of BKT.