ISTANBUL

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on Tuesday that they see risks in "overly close" engagement with China while stressing the need for a willingness from both sides to restore relations.

"Lithuania sees all the risks associated with overly close engagement with the Chinese regime," Nauseda told radio Ziniu Radijas, according to public broadcaster LRT.

He said they do not enjoy the fact that "diplomatic relations are practically nonexistent" after Lithuania began to deepen ties with Taiwan.

"They have been downgraded to a very low level, but for those relations to be restored, there has to be willingness from both states," Nauseda noted.

Highlighting that Europe's dependence on China caused recurring problems, he urged the bloc to "clearly and precisely" define how it views Beijing.

"It is not possible to assess it in a way that for some time was very popular -- seeing China simultaneously as an economic partner, a competitor and a strategic adversary. When those three roles appear, it is easy to get lost among them," Nauseda explained.

Extending EU sanctions on Belarus

Nauseda also alleged that Belarus remains a Russian ally, continues to hold political prisoners, and is behind repeated security incidents on Lithuania’s border, including smuggling balloons.

"With the European Union set to decide in late February, I will be among those who most firmly demand the extension of these sanctions," he said.

Last week, Vilnius Airport was forced to suspend operations three times in one evening due to the most recent balloon incursion.

"If the Belarusian regime is seeking at least some normalization of relations -- if not with the European Union, then at least with the United States -- it should clearly avoid such signs of escalation," Nauseda underscored.