Russia's possible response to transit ban unlikely to hurt Lithuanian economy - Lithuanian Minister of Economy and Innovation

VILNIUS. July 11 (Interfax/BNS) - Lithuania does not have any significant economic ties with Russia at this point, so Russia's possible response to the Kaliningrad transit restrictions is unlikely to have direct economic consequences, Lithuanian Minister of the Economy and Innovation Ausrine Armonaite said.

"What [Russia - BNS] could do is pressure the countries more dependent on Russian energy, such as Germany or others. But in fact we do not see direct economic consequences of the kind due to absence of any significant economic relations between Lithuania [and Russia - BNS]," Armonaite said.

Lithuania is independent from Russia because it "does not buy either electricity or gas from it," she said.

As reported earlier, the transitional period of the fifth package of EU sanctions on Russia expired on Sunday and a ban on transit of cement, alcohol and some other Russian-made products to the Kaliningrad region via Lithuania took effect.