VILNIUS, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Lithuania is not considering withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Justice Ministry said on Sunday, amid a U.S. campaign against the Hague-based court and pressure on other countries over their membership.
According to Lithuania's national public broadcaster LRT, the ministry said the only information it had received was a public statement issued by the U.S. State Department on July 13, which called on U.S. partners not to recognize the ICC's jurisdiction over U.S. officials and military personnel.
The ministry said the issue could be addressed through other instruments and mechanisms of international law, adding that withdrawal from the ICC was not under consideration in Lithuania.
The statement followed an LRT report on Friday citing sources as saying that U.S. officials had conveyed a message to Lithuania that the ICC issue was particularly relevant to countries hosting American troops.
The Justice Ministry said it had no information about any direct request specifically addressed to Lithuania by U.S. partners to suspend its participation in or withdraw from the Rome Statute, which established the ICC.
U.S. officials have raised concerns about the ICC's arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and questioned how countries that are parties to the Rome Statute and also host U.S. troops would reconcile their obligations concerning American military personnel.
The United States announced a broader campaign against the ICC in July that could include additional sanctions and pressure on other countries to follow Washington's approach.
