In his written answers to the opposition's interpellation motion against him, Landsbergis notes that sanctions against Russia are adopted in separate packages and are constantly being extended, and that the fourth package, which also restricted the shipment of iron and metals, was adopted back on March 15, with a delayed entry into force from June 17.

"All the adopted sanctions and their packages, along with the modalities for their entry into force, have been and are being made public by both the European Union and Lithuanian institutions," he writes.

"Russia is constantly engaged in disinformation, propaganda and information manipulation. This is not a new phenomenon or a surprise, and one should take the information they disseminate very critically and not fall for these manipulations."

In his reply to the question of why the authorities failed to make adequate preparations to manage disinformation risks before the sanctions came into force, Landsbergis notes that Lithuania's public domain and media outlets, "unlike those in Russia or Belarus", operate freely and independently.

"The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has always stood up for media freedom and will defend these rights both domestically and globally and, unlike authoritarian regimes, will never seek to dominate the public domain," he writes.

The minister rejects the possibility of a "selective interpretation" of EU sanctions regulations on Kaliningrad transit, insisting that his ministry complied with the bloc's legislation on sanctions.

Lithuania halted the movement of some Russian goods via its territory to Kaliningrad after the EU sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine came into force on June 17. Vilnius then said it followed the Commission’s guidance that banned the transit.

After the Kremlin called the restrictions a blockade of its Kaliningrad region and threatened to retaliate, the Commission issued its updated guidance to allow the rail transit of sanctioned goods for the exclave's needs.

The opposition also asks Landsbergis several questions about the diplomatic corps, such as why the minister, "while loudly declaring the principles of depoliticization of the MFA”, nominated Arnoldas Pranckevicius, then deputy foreign minister, for Lithuania's ambassador to the EU and why Aurelijus Zykas, who had never been a career diplomat in the MFA, was appointed as the country's ambassador to Japan.

The foreign minister is also asked about a possible conflict of interest in the appointment of Dalia Kreiviene, the wife of Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys, as Lithuania's ambassador to Italy.

In his answers, Landsbergis notes that all diplomatic appointments were coordinated with the relevant authorities and approved in accordance with the legal requirements.

In the interpellation, the opposition asks for explanations regarding Vilnius' decision to allow Taipei to open its representative office with the word "Taiwanese", rather than "Taipei's", in its name.

In his answer to the question of whether "the potential economic impact" of the move "on Lithuania's strategic enterprises and individual industrial sectors was properly assessed", Landsbergis says that decisions to intensify the development of relations with Taiwan and other countries in the Indo-Pacific Ocean region were taken in order to achieve strategic diversification and reduce Lithuania's dependence on autocratic countries.

"We can see today that this decision has brought significant economic benefits to Lithuanian businesses: economic relations with Lithuania's strategic partner, the US, and the major countries of the Indo-Pacific region increased significantly last year and this year," he writes.

Meanwhile, Lithuania's exports to China stopped due to "illegal Chinese actions", according to Landsbergis.

The interpellation motion against the foreign minister was initiated by the Democratic Union "For Lithuania" and other opposition groups in the parliament.

Under the Statute of the Seimas, at least 29 signatures are needed for an interpellation to be submitted to a member of the Cabinet. Once the minister receives the questions, he or she has two weeks to answer them in writing.

According to the interpellation procedure, the parliament sets up a special commission that recommends whether or not to accept the answers provided by the minister.

If it proposes not to accept the answers and to express no confidence in the minister, at least 71 members of the 141-seat parliament must support such a resolution in a secret ballot for it to be passed.

Source
It is prohibited to copy and republish the text of this publication without a written permission from UAB „BNS“.
BNS
Comment Show discussion