Юозас Олекас. Фото: facebook.com
Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Juozas Olekas said that the resumption of economic relations with Belarus is possible only after peace is established in Ukraine. According to him, the conditions for potential cooperation include an end to the transfer of weather balloons across the border, the release of detained trucks and political prisoners, LRT reports citing BNS.
He recalled that the current European sanctions regime expires at the end of February and stressed the need to maintain EU unity in order to extend it.
“There is currently a discussion about the European sanctions regime, because at the end of February the decision on the current sanctions expires. I truly believe that unity is necessary, and I think that another attempt will be made to extend these sanctions,” he said on Thursday on Lietuvos rytas television in the programme “Nauja diena”.
“If it is possible to stop Russian aggression in Ukraine, if peace comes to Ukraine, then perhaps other economic relations with Belarus will also emerge,” he stressed.
It should be recalled that at the end of last year, weather balloons carrying contraband from Belarus repeatedly disrupted the operation of Lithuanian airports, with similar incidents recorded this year as well. In addition, the Belarusian side has detained several thousand Lithuanian trucks.
Olekas stressed that all available channels should be used to resolve these problems, including the sanctions mechanism and its strengthening. He also mentioned cooperation with the United States and contacts between American diplomats and representatives of the Belarusian authorities.
“Another measure has emerged — this is our cooperation with the United States and the activity of American diplomats with certain representatives of the Belarusian regime, which also yields results: both a reduction in violations of our air border and the release of political prisoners,” Olekas said. “And it is necessary to maintain a certain unity with Europe.”