Belarus intends to discuss the use of transit opportunities with Lithuania. This was stated by Deputy Foreign Minister Ihar Sakreta following a meeting between Lithuanian and Polish carriers and Prime Minister Alyaksandr Turchyn. The meeting was prompted by the situation with trucks held in Belarus since last autumn.
Sakreta said that the Belarusian side will make a decision regarding the trucks. He also criticized Lithuania for its unwillingness to engage at the level of foreign ministries, noting that contacts between border units do not resolve the key issues.
“But they do not solve the main problem, which is enshrined in our agreements on the state border regime with Lithuania and the relevant agreements with the Polish side. Naturally, we will discuss the prospects of border operations, including the possibilities of using the transit potential of the Republic of Lithuania. This is a broad set of issues that goes beyond the competence of border services,” Sakreta said, as cited by BelTA.
Earlier, he noted that Minsk and Vilnius have differing views on the issue of airborne cigarette smuggling. While Lithuania considers it a hybrid threat, Belarus views it as the activity of smugglers.
“There are many issues in bilateral relations with Lithuania. These include security matters, law enforcement cooperation, and the already widely discussed balloons used to deliver contraband cigarettes. What prevents us from reaching an agreement is that we define what is happening at the border differently. For some reason, it is выгодно for the Lithuanian side to label this a hybrid threat, because such threats are generously funded in Europe — they shock, attract attention, and do not require additional discussion. We, however, believe this is ordinary cross-border crime involving representatives of different countries. Whenever there is a price difference, there will always be a temptation to bypass regulations and profit from it. This has always been the case at our shared border,” he said.
Sakreta added that combating cross-border crime requires joint efforts through cooperation and dialogue.
“This can be addressed in a standard way — when customs, border guards, law enforcement, and special services communicate, share information about channels, and exchange operational data. The results will be better. But that is if the goal is long-term cooperation. If the approach is short-term and opportunistic, then an information bomb is needed — one that attracts significant attention in EU countries and brings in different funding. We say: let us work together and benefit from cargo transit, as well as joint scientific and cultural cooperation. Let us open the border and make it predictable and safe for citizens of all countries — not only Belarus, Lithuania, and Poland,” he said.
