The verdict of the court means Hoptrans’ attempt to appeal the court’s previous decision has failed.
It is reported that the main reason Hoptrans has been deemed an unsuitable applicant for NATO contracts is the company’s links to Russian firm TransContainer, which itself is a subsidiary of Russia’s state railway company.
Hoptrans’ official website confirms that it is an official agent of Russian rail operator TransContainer. Indeed, the Lithuanian haulier has even boasted on its site that this partnership gives it direct access to more than 58,000 containers and 26,000 railway platforms.
In 2013, the two parties also cooperated to establish a rail freight route linking Lithuania with Kazakhstan.
According to Lithuania’s state broadcaster, Vilnius District Administrative Court’s findings show that in 2019, the controlling stake in TransConteiner was acquired by Delo Group, a large group of Russian transport and logistics companies. In the same year, 30% of Delo Group’s shares were also acquired by the Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom.
“Hoptrans Holding’s relations with TransConteiner pose risks due to the relations of this company and its controlling shareholders with the structures of the Russian regime and the intelligence and security service,” Vilnius District Administrative Court said in a statement concerning its verdict.
It was thus decided that Hoptrans did not meet the criteria required to apply for NATO logistics contracts.
As for the appeal, Vilnius District Administrative Court had the following to say:
“In the court’s assessment, the applicant did not deny the circumstances established by the VSD [Vilnius District Administrative Court]. The arguments given by the applicant (Hoptransa – ELTA) that cooperation with TransContainer is of a purely commercial nature, do not negate the circumstances established by the VSD. The fact that “TransConteiner” is not included in the list of sanctioned companies does not change the essence of the dispute, neither does it negate the conclusion made by the VSD that the said company is connected to the Russian regime and the Russian intelligence and security services.”
Should Hoptrans wish to further pursue their case, they will need to appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania.
Photo: Handpl1b, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (image cropped)
