Lithuania will no longer recognize non-biometric Russian passports as valid travel documents starting June 1. This decision was made on Friday by a joint order of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Interior.
However, this order will not apply to Russian citizens' transit travel through Lithuanian territory by rail from Königsberg to Russian territory and back.
"With this decision, we join other European Union (EU) countries that have already introduced such restrictions," the statement quoted Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys as saying.
According to him, it is hoped that this decision will help Lithuanian residents feel safer.
"It will soon be two years since we have been discussing the restriction of the movement of Russian special services employees in the Schengen area. As you know, some of the most high-profile terrorist attacks in Europe were carried out by the same GRU agents who arrived with other passports. It is more difficult to forge identities with biometric passports, so our citizens will also be able to feel safer," the Minister of Foreign Affairs said.
He was also supported by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Vladislav Kondratovich. According to him, this decision, necessary in the changed geopolitical situation, meets the national security interests of the Lithuanian state.
"Passports without biometric data do not have modern security measures and are easier to forge, therefore there is a greater risk of their illegal use. In exceptional cases, requests from citizens of the Russian Federation - representatives of the democratic opposition, independent media or society - to enter Lithuania with a non-biometric passport will be accepted if the purpose of their arrival meets the interests of the Lithuanian state," said V. Kondratovičius.
As indicated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the decision was made taking into account that non-biometric foreign passports issued in Russia do not comply with the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) - they do not have unique biometric data (fingerprints, facial image) integrated into biometric passports that ensure reliable identity verification, and therefore are more easily forged and have a higher risk of illegal use.
Non-biometric Russian passports are no longer recognized by Denmark, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France and Iceland.
Austėa Paulauskaitė (ELTA)
