VILNIUS, September 8 (RIA Novosti) - Lithuania is in talks with the United States over accepting some prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, a Lithuanian newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing the country's foreign minister.

Vygaudas Usackas said the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry was told to begin consultations on the issue in February, and could take some detainees if the level of risk was found to be acceptable.

"The consultations are now underway," he was quoted as saying on the Lithuanian Courier website. "When we make sure that the appropriate services can guarantee that the potential risks can be dealt with, we will take a corresponding decision in consultation with the United States."

Usackas would not say when the issue could be decided.

The United States opened a detention center for terrorist suspects in 2002 at its Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba. Soon after taking office this year, President Barack Obama said the jail would be closed within a year, but finding countries willing to take the prisoners has proved difficult.