He also says Lithuania is working hard to provide the necessary information to the EC.
"In this case, the procedure in the European Union is that foreign trade policies are within the province of the European Commission, and the European Commission speaks on behalf of countries and defends their interests, as they are the interests of all of our Union. This is the procedure, a country cannot make a direct address," the minister told journalists at parliament on Wednesday.
He added that Lithuania was in constant contact with European institutions over the Russian actions.
"We will work to provide (the EC with) all the necessary information – to the extent it needs and the type it needs to be able to speak in a civilized manner and return to a regular rhythm. Nobody benefits from what is going on – not just the two countries. It is not good for, let's say, consumers who truly like our products," Linkevičius said.
He expressed regret about failure to receive information from Russia via official channels.
"It is not just us – commissioners sent letters to relevant institutions and have not received response, there are no response to notes either," the minister told journalists.
Linkevičius explained that Lithuania was not in confrontation with Russia but had its own values and aspirations, which included helping countries that chose a path to Europe.
"Nobody forces our values upon these countries, nobody is forcing the European project, if the countries make their own choice, it is a matter of our dignity, and our values suggest we should help the countries. If somebody thinks we will change our attitude, they should change their way of thinking," the minister emphasized.
