Lithuania Moves to Denounce Investment Agreements with Russia and Belarus

Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, has confirmed that President Gitanas Nausėda will soon submit proposals to the Seimas to denounce investment protection agreements with Russia and Belarus, according to a report by LRT.

“I have received confirmation that these projects will be submitted to the Seimas shortly,” Čmilytė-Nielsen stated.

The Lithuanian government approved the denouncement of these agreements in May. However, the president has yet to present them for parliamentary consideration, which has raised questions among some political figures.

Žygimantas Pavilionis, Vice-Chair of the Seimas and former Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed concerns over the delay, noting that it has led to significant speculation. He referenced a report from the parliamentary “Whistleblower Commission,” which suggests that individuals connected to the Belarusian fertilizer industry may be influencing the president’s office. These individuals allegedly seek to bypass or ease sanctions and are trying to secure advisory roles with the president.

There is speculation in political circles that the hesitation in the president’s office may be related to concerns about the Belarusian fertilizer producer “Belaruskali,” which still holds a 30% stake in the closed joint-stock company “Bulk Cargo Terminal,” despite European Union sanctions.

Separately, on September 6, former head of Ukraine’s Ministry of Strategic Industries, Oleksandr Kamyshin, announced that Lithuania will allocate €10 million for the purchase of Ukrainian-made Palianytsia drone missiles, following a meeting of the Ramstein Group.