Russia to Seek From Lithuania, EU Compliance With Kaliningrad Transit Obligations - Moscow

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia will seek from Lithuania and the European Union the fulfillment of political and legal obligations for uninterrupted passenger and cargo transit to Russia's Kaliningrad exclave, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik.

Lithuania has decided to close the Lavoriskes and Raigardas crossings on the border with Belarus on March 1, as well as prohibit the boarding of passengers at the Kena and Kybartai railroad stations.

However, passenger trains of the Russian company Russian Railways have been traveling to Kaliningrad through Lithuania for several years without boarding or disembarking passengers on Lithuanian territory.

Zakharova said the decision will not affect Russian citizens traveling on transit trains to the Kaliningrad Region using a simplified railway travel document, since in this case boarding/disembarking is carried out only at the final destinations.

"This is another attempt by Vilnius to create additional difficulties for Russians and Belarusians by any means. It must be said that this has happened in the past, and in their anti-Russian impulse, Lithuanians do not think about the interests of their own citizens. For our part, we will continue to push Vilnius and Brussels to fulfill their political and international legal obligations to ensure uninterrupted Kaliningrad transit – both passenger and cargo,” she said.