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"Our next steps are to prepare the material, obtain feedback from all relevant government departments and submit this to the government's Strategic Committee so that it could find the funding and set out the obligations and  a timeframe for the implementation of that project," the minister told reporters after a meeting of the Sventoji Port Development Council.

"The Transport Ministry and the Klaipeda port authority, which owns the Sventoji port, have spent a considerable amount of money to draw up a design plan both for the town (of Sventoji) and for the port. That plan has been approved and construction permits have been obtained. I think it has to be discussed at the government's Strategic Committee and efforts should be made to mobilize funds from different government departments," he added.

According to Sinkevicius, the Transport Ministry cannot fund the project because the European Commission does not allow it to do so.

"The problem is that we can hardly expect the Sventoji state seaport to become in the near future, and even in the distant future, a logistic center for handling and warehousing cargoes or for international passenger transportation," the minister said.

"It will most probably not happen, and it will be a port for recreational, tourist and fishing needs. The European Commission does not allow the Transport Ministry to provide funds for maintaining or building such ports," he said.

A deepened and cleaned port in Sventoji was opened in June 2011, only to be closed a few days later due to sand being washed into the entrance channel.