Blockade Over in Lithuania, Moscow Says
The Soviet government has ended its economic blockade against Lithuania after a breakthrough in the crisis over the republic’s declaration of independence, Prime Minister Nikolai I. Ryzhkov was quoted as saying Monday.
Lithuanian authorities said over the weekend that oil had started flowing into the republic’s sole refinery for the first time in two months in the wake of its decision to suspend a March 11 declaration of independence.
The suspension was a condition set by Moscow for talks.
But Ryzhkov, in comments to the unofficial news agency Interfax, said the entire range of punitive measures have now been lifted.
“All economic restrictions imposed against Lithuania have been lifted by the Soviet government,” Ryzhkov was quoted as saying.
The Interfax report, also carried by the Soviet government newspaper Izvestia, could not be confirmed immediately with Lithuanian officials.
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