The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania,

emphasising the mutual conviction of the parties set forth in the Lithuanian-Russian Treaty of 29 July 1991 that, once the consequences of the 1940 annexation are removed, additional conditions will be created to promote mutual trust between Lithuania and Russia as well as their peoples;

greatly appreciating the efforts made by the European Union and the Russian Federation to develop a solid strategic partnership and noting that following the enlargement of the European Union the responsibility for the future of the Kaliningrad region rests not only with the Russian Federation, but also with the European Union;

underlining Lithuania’s interest in the social well-being of the residents of the EU neighbouring region of Kaliningrad and the economic development of the region and realising that the European Union can make a significant contribution to the social and economic development of the Kaliningrad region;

believing that integration of the Kaliningrad region into the Baltic economic and social area can be ensured not only by the transit between the Kaliningrad region and mainland Russia, but first and foremost by the joint efforts of the European Union and the Russian Federation;

noting that efforts to introduce derogations from the EU acquis with regard to the transit to and from Russia allowing to create a transit corridor run counter to the national interests of Lithuania,

invites the Russian Federation to create conditions facilitating the social and economic development of the Kaliningrad region and to open up the area for regional cooperation in order to offer the Kaliningrad region prospects of future development, thus enabling its residents to take full advantage of the enlargement of the European Union and of the rapid economic growth in the neighbourhood of the Kaliningrad region;

calls on the leadership of the Russian Federation to start genuine cooperation with the European Union on the social and economic development of the Kaliningrad region on the basis of the proposals put forward to Russia at the EU-Russia Summit of 21 May 2004, i.e. to start a dialogue on the development of a separate action plan for the economic and social development of the Kaliningrad region;

believes that failure of the Kaliningrad region to adapt to the dynamic development in its proximity can, over the long term, turn the region into a source of social and political tension, while Russia’s stance on the development of the Kaliningrad region, having regard only to the transit between the Kaliningrad region and mainland Russia, renders it impossible to deal effectively with the issues of social and economic development, environment, education and protection of cultural heritage;

resolutely rejects any efforts to create a passenger and cargo transit corridor between the Kaliningrad region and mainland Russia through the territory of the European Union and opposes the memorandum submitted by the Russian Federation to the European Commission in May 2003 where it proposed that the Kaliningrad transit be governed by “Russia’s national legislation” and be treated as Russia’s “inland transit” as well as Russia’s proposals put forward in June 2004 with regard to a visa-free train service.  

CHAIRMAN OF THE SEIMAS

OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA                               ARTŪRAS PAULAUSKAS