When dirty, oily slicks were spotted in the Baltic Sea near the Russian-owned D-6 oil platform in mid-June, Lithuanian institutions began sounding the alarm, worried about the potential threat to the nearby Curonian Spit. But! As has been the case before, the Russian authorities did not respond.

The issue is highly significant, because...

...as soon as pressing environmental issues regarding the Baltic Sea arise, the Russian side fails to respond to them. There is effectively no communication. Unfortunately, the large neighbouring country is not inclined to cooperate at the level we would like, although, it must be said, it would not be right to point the finger at only one Baltic Sea country - every nation must make its own contribution to the protection of the marine environment, believes Lithuanian Member of Parliament Linas Balsis (Linas Balsys).