“I can tell you today, I was notified by the Commission in the morning that they were considering this issue [about WTO] but they asked not to inform in public as certain decisions would be taken,” he told reporters at the Seimas [parliament] on Tuesday.
In particular, he said that specific facts about the restrictions in trade with Russia had to be collected in order to complain to the WTO. Such facts were not yet available, he said adding that it was already clear what the Commission would do next.
“While working with the Commission, we have already got certain information about what will be done next. However, I have to say again that they – the European Commission – asked not to disclose that information in public. We have to understand the meaning and importance of this issue. It is foreign policy and we have to join forces, this is my message to the politicians in the Seimas [parliament], the government and the President’s Office. Since all of us are probably responsible for foreign policy,” he told the Lithuanian Radio later on Tuesday.
This is probably the first time for Butkevičius to say in public that Russia’s decision to suspend imports of Lithuanian dairy products is political.
“I can tell – and I could tell that before since we’ve got information from certain official representatives from Russia – that it’s definitely a political decision. Certain people who were called on Sunday … said that it’s a political decision. You understand the reasons yourselves, they said,” Butkevičius added.
Prime minister said that Russia’s officials had asked not to politicize the issue of dairy supplies.
“Our work with certain Russia’s authorities, including the President’s Office and Russia’s Customs Service, and we also had a conversation yesterday but I cannot disclose the names of the people responsible. They [conversations] take place regularly, it’s just that they asked us not to politicize this issue too much,” Butkevičius said.
Lithuania’s dairy companies shipped their products to Russia successfully on Tuesday morning, Butkevičius said. He added, however, that there were reports about one truck that had been stopped.
“The trucks crossed the border successfully until 8 AM in the morning. However, I have recently been notified, although those reports have not been confirmed, that one vehicle has been stopped,” Butkevičius said.
