Latvia and Estonia do not plan to take over Belarus transit cargos diverted from Lithuania due to sanctions

RIGA - Latvia and Estonia do not plan to take over Belarus transit cargos diverted from Lithuania due to the EU and US sanctions on Belarusian companies, the prime ministers of both countries confirmed.

Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) told the press after the meeting of the three Baltic prime ministers today that sanctions can be efficient only if they are applied in solidarity. He underscored that Latvia would be ready to support even more sanctions against the regime of Belarus authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko, implementing hybrid war against the EU on its eastern borders.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that Estonia is not interested to cooperate with companies against whom the sanctions have been imposed.

Meanwhile, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said that the transit through Lithuanian ports will not continue any longer.

As reported, the three Baltic prime minister met in Vilnius on Wednesday to discuss the situation on the EU eastern border with Belarus, Russia's military activities near Ukraine, development of infrastructure projects and energy policy, as well as other issues.

Under the European Union's (EU) fifth package of sanctions against Belarus that were adopted on December 2, restrictive measures are being imposed on an additional 17 individuals and 11 legal entities, targeting prominent members of Belarus' judicial branch and propaganda outlets that contribute to the continued repression of civil society, democratic opposition, independent media outlets and journalists, and high-ranking political officials and companies that have helped incite and organize illegal border crossing for political purposes.