Russia, Belarus discuss steps over Kaliningrad

MOSCOW－The leaders of Russia and Belarus discussed possible joint measures against Lithuania over its "illegal" transit restrictions affecting Moscow's exclave of Kaliningrad, the Kremlin said on Monday.

Vilnius has restricted the transit of goods sanctioned by the EU into Kaliningrad, a Russian region between NATO members Lithuania and Poland, since mid-June. The move has infuriated Moscow.

"An emphasis was made on the situation in connection with the illegal restrictions imposed by Lithuania on the transit of goods to the Kaliningrad region," the Kremlin said in a statement. "In this context, some possible joint steps were discussed."

The communique was issued after talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko.

Lithuania has expanded restrictions on trade through its territory to Kaliningrad. Additional goods barred from Monday morning include concrete, wood, alcohol and alcohol-based industrial chemicals, a spokesperson for Lithuanian customs said.

Russia and the EU are in talks over the issue, with Moscow asking for the restrictions to be lifted and accusing Brussels of violating a 2002 agreement on travel to Kaliningrad.

Also on Monday, Putin discussed the development of bilateral economic cooperation and the situation in Ukraine during a telephone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Both leaders "focused on tasks to further promote economic cooperation, including measures to improve the contractual legal framework, boost trade and use national currencies in transactions, as well as to ensure uninterrupted supplies of Russian energy," the Kremlin said.

Putin will meet Erdogan and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during a visit to Teheran next Tuesday, the Kremlin has announced.

Turkey said it will host Russian and Ukrainian delegations together with UN diplomats on Wednesday to discuss the resumption of stalled grain deliveries across the Black Sea, AFP reported.

On Tuesday, the EU approved fresh aid for Ukraine. Finance ministers from the 27-nation bloc gave the go-ahead to 1 billion euros ($1 billion) in loans to the Ukrainian government.

Agencies Via Xinhua