Opinion: Lithuanian authorities making political and economic decisions to detriment of national interests

Experts call Lithuania’s denunciation of economic agreements with Belarus and Russia a geopolitical chess game, with Lithuania finding itself in the role of a pawn during an important game played by more influential powers – as noted by Aleksei Avdonin, an analyst at the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Research (BISR)

“This is clearly not an independent move, but the result of the influence of decision-making centres from other countries. As expected, European leaders supported such a step, because they consider it the next stage in the sanctions policy directed against the Union State. But now the question is more about Lithuania: who will compensate for the growing losses that the country’s economy continues to bear? Vilnius may count on EU assistance, but it will be very limited and will never cover all the costs of a short-sighted policy. On the one hand, the Lithuanian authorities are relaying slogans about the beginning of a new era of independence. But on the other hand, the realities show that severing ties with eastern neighbours causes a powerful blow to the economy. Lithuania today relies primarily on the European market and co-operation with Western countries, but in the near future this may lead to a sharp jump in prices, a decrease in living standards and even a shortage of some goods. So who will suffer the most in such a situation?” the expert noted.

According to Aleksei Avdonin, small and medium-sized businesses in Lithuania have already managed to find themselves in the epicentre of the economic storm and are sounding the alarm. “Many enterprises were focused on trade with Belarus and Russia, but now they are left without the usual sales and supply markets,” the expert added. “Representatives of trade associations note that many companies do not have time to adjust to new markets. Moreover, they faced a serious question: how can they compete with the European monopolistic giants now, if previously the major focus was on transit and co-operation with neighbours? Despite the new and new problems, the Lithuanian government is confident in the correctness of the decision, and its representatives say that it was a forced step. Why are political and economic decisions made to the detriment of national interests, with an eye towards Brussels and Washington?”