Latvia’s Ministry of Interior has proposed that the government suspend operations at the only functioning border crossing on the Latvian-Belarusian border, Pāternieki (Hryharoushchyna). A draft decision has already been prepared and submitted to the government for approval, reports LSM.
Closing the border crossing would help safeguard the country’s territorial integrity, prevent threats to public order, and create more favorable conditions for border guards to combat illegal migration, the ministry said.
Latvia’s Ministry of Interior stated that, amid migratory pressure from Belarus, an enhanced border security regime has been declared along the Latvian-Belarusian border. It said the operational border crossing provides “greater opportunities to conduct a prolonged hybrid warfare operation against Latvia” and could also be used as “an additional tool for pressure, provocations and intelligence-related activities.”
The Pāternieki border crossing suspended operations on the evening of July 31. The Latvian side attributed the move to a “technical malfunction.” Earlier today, Belarus’ Foreign Ministry threatened Latvia with retaliatory measures of an asymmetric nature.
