Lithuania’s President, Gitanas Nausėda, approved a draft law for terminating the 1999 tax treaty with Russia, which was submitted to the parliament for consideration on Monday, 16 September 2024.

According to the treaty’s stipulations, a notice of termination must be provided at least six months prior to the end of the calendar year for the termination to take effect at the start of the subsequent calendar year.

The earliest possible date for the formal termination of the treaty is 1 January 2026.

Earlier, the Lithuanian government approved a resolution to terminate the tax treaty with Russia on 26 June 2024.

The decision comes in response to Russia’s suspension of several provisions of the treaty in August 2023. The government also made public plans to terminate several bilateral agreements with Russia.

“Following the outbreak of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry asked all institutions to assess the scope and need for international legal cooperation with Russia,” said Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.

The treaty was initially signed on 29 June, 1999, and became effective from 1 January, 2006.