Lithuania approved extension of sanctions against Russia and Belarus
The Lithuanian Seimas has approved a proposal to extend national sanctions against Russian and Belarusian citizens for another year and to strengthen the screening of Belarusians entering the country.
This is reported by Delfi.
Amendments to the law on restrictive measures were approved by consensus after submission. Now this issue will be discussed in the Sejm committees on national security and defense as well as foreign affairs.
Deputy Foreign Minister Jonas Survila, who presented the bill and explained the reasons for the proposed extension of sanctions, noted that the circumstances and geopolitical situation have not changed since last year. Therefore, he said, it is important to continue to properly manage potential risks to the country's security.
"The aggression continues, civilians are being killed and injured, civilian infrastructure is under attack - you know this very well. Therefore, in response to the ongoing war and the fact that these actions have a dramatic impact not only on the security of Ukraine but also on the security of Europe and us, we are presenting this draft law," Survila said.
In addition to extending the restrictions until May 2, 2025, the project proposes to strengthen the screening of Belarusian citizens crossing the Lithuanian border on a Schengen visa, which involves additional assessment and verification for potential risks. A similar procedure is already in place for Russian citizens.
The draft law also proposes to clarify the application of national sanctions to legal entities by providing for restrictions on Russian entrepreneurs, regardless of whether they have a temporary or permanent residence permit in Lithuania.
In addition, the draft law aims to restrict the right of legal entities to acquire real estate by assessing whether a Russian citizen is a beneficiary of a particular legal entity.
