EU-Russia agreement could be signed without Lithuanian requirements

May 27, 2008
In cooperation with BNS

VILNIUS - Lithuanian Foreign Minister Petras Vaitiekunas assured that all requirements raised by Lithuania are reflected in the European Union (EU) - Russia negotiations mandate, and acknowledged that this is a sign of successful negotiations.

When Vaitiekunas was asked  whether the EU-Russia agreement could be signed even if Lithuania's requirements are not satisfied, the minister nonchalantly replied that it could.

The minister also emphasized that Lithuania "achieved what it could", and all Lithuania's requirements are reflected in the mandate, which "is an integral and legally committing document".

He noted that difficult negotiations over the text of the agreement and its implementation are ahead.

The minister said that even though the mandate includes a provision on the Druzhba pipeline, which hasn't seen oil-flow to Lithuania for almost two years now, this doesn't mean that oil supply will be renewed.

"There is no direct conditionality, this will be negotiated. The EU will raise questions over Druzhba, legal issues and frozen conflicts in talks with Russia, however this is not a condition for successful negotiations", Vaitiekunas said.

He also added that "it takes two partners to negotiate and music suiting the fancy of both sides must play".

Lithuania blocked the talks with Russia at the end of April, proposing to include four declarations in the negotiations mandate: the issue of cut-off oil supply via the Druzhba pipeline, the necessity to deal with frozen conflicts in Georgia and Moldova, cooperation in solving occurrences of Jan. 13 and the Medininkai massacre as well as support for exiled persons, who are returning to the three Baltic States.

The declarations were accepted, Lithuania lifted its veto, and didn't interfere with the start of the talks.

Having agreed to include issues raised by Lithuania into the mandate, EU's foreign ministers made a formal approval to begin talks with Russia over the new Strategic Partnership Agreement after they were deadlocked for almost two years. The talks are due to start in the end of June. 

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