[autom.vertaling] Litouwen voegt spanning aan besprekingen Kaliningrad toe (en)
Lithuania on Tuesday rejected the possibility of allowing visa-free transit via Lithuania before the country joins the EU. This statement, set to upset Russia who wants visa-free travelling between mainland Russia and Kaliningrad, will put further strain on the EU-Russia talks, and the hope of finding a solution before the 11 November summit in Copenhagen.
Lithuania: no experiment with sovereignty
"Our principle is clear: we do not want to and cannot experiment with our sovereignty and Schengen membership, therefore, we cannot discuss an option or studies of visa-free trains prior to our membership in the EU," Lithuanian's Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis said.
The sovereignty of Lithuania was also recognised by the EU foreign affairs ministers on Monday, whose statement reads that the feasibility study for the visa-free train will be discussed between the EU presidency, the Commission and Lithuanian authorities.
Some EU states back Russia's demands
Although the EU Commission and the majority of EU states mirrored Lithuania's position, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal want the option of visa-free high speed trains through Lithuania to be studied before enlargement. It appears that Lithuanian diplomats will attempt to better explainLithuania's stance to Southern European countries and Germany. Minister Valionis said. "Germany's final position will be cleared up after a government is formed in the country."
Lithuania hopes to enter the EU in the next 2004 enlargement. Although it will not become part of Schengen until after 2006, it will start introducing visa as from next year. In line with obligations to the EU, Lithuania will cancel visa privileges for passengers in Russian trains as of January 2003; visas will be introduced for Russia's nationals travelling by car to and via Lithuania from July 1, 2003. Also at the beginning of next year, Lithuania will cancel visa privileges to certain groups of Belarus nationals: pensioners, people living near the border and those involved with haulage.
Russia has criticised the plans to cancel visa privileges to its nationals. In a statement on Tuesday, it said that mutually acceptable solutions have to be reached before the EU-Rus
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