Lithuania banned the import of Russian natural gas into the country, with the exception of its transit to the Kaliningrad region.
The Seimas adopted the corresponding decision on Tuesday, June 28 . The Lithuanian government has amended the Law on Natural Gas. 123 deputies voted in favor, two abstained.
This is reported by Delfi.
According to changes in the law, the country's gas transmission system and the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal of Klaipedos nafta will be available only to suppliers from countries that do not threaten Lithuania's national security. However, the exception was suppliers transporting gas in transit to Kaliningrad.
According to BNS, Lithuanian Energy Minister Dainius Kreivis said that this would ensure the national and energy security of the country, reliable and uninterrupted gas supplies to Lithuanian consumers, as well as the possibility to accept the maximum number of bulky LNG cargoes at the LNG terminal.
It should be noted that back in early March, Klaipedos nafta suspended the acceptance of cargo by the Russian company Novatek. This happened after the European Union imposed sanctions due to the war in Ukraine against the Russian oligarch Gennady Timchenko, who can be considered the head of the Novatek group.
In addition, since April, Lithuania, seeking full independence from “Gazprom” and responding to the energy blackmail of Russia in Europe and the war in Ukraine, completely refused to supply Russian gas through the pipeline. So far, Russian gas continues to be transported in transit through Lithuania to Kaliningrad, but in a different technical regime from the usual one, which only ensures the transfer of the amount of gas necessary for transit.
Recall, Lithuania calls on the world to prevent concessions or revision of sanctions against Russia because of the ban on the transit of goods to Kaliningrad. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis says the Kremlin may take this as a sign of EU weakness.
