Russia's grain exports through Latvia do not reach Lithuania - minister

VILNIUS - Amid suspicions that Russian grain is entering the European Union via Latvia, Lithuanian Agriculture Minister Kestutis Navickas says Russian grain is moving in transit and does not enter Lithuania.

Nevertheless, the minister acknowledges that the Latvian government should take action.

Ausrys Macijauskas, the head of the Lithuanian Association of Grain Growers, has called for stronger controls at the Lithuanian-Latvia, border to prevent Russian grain from entering Lithuania.

"Grain from Russia travels by rail and it is very easy to control this as it is visible in the declarations. I have checked and there was certainly concern whether Latvian grain (Russian grain from Latvia - BNS) had not emerged in our port, but there is no such information, and the port has confirmed that there is no Latvian grain," Navickas told the pubic radio LRT on Friday.

Macijauskas says about one million tons of grain have been imported from Russia to Latvia so far.

"The shocking fact is that Latvia, and perhaps other neighboring countries as nobody knows this because there is no control, are importing grain from the aggressor country. (...) Almost one million tons of grain have been imported from Russia," Macijauskas told the radio.

He believes that controls at the Lithuanian-Latvian border should be tightened and that it should be monitored to make sure that Russian grain does not enter Lithuania.

"Clearly, neither we nor, the Latvian government like the fact that this process is taking place, but the question remains open as to why is the Latvian government not taking action," Navickas said.