Latvia will not close the Pāternieki (Hryharoushchyna) border crossing on the Belarus-Latvia border. The decision was made by the country’s government on Aug. 4, LSM reported.
The technical problems that have kept the border crossing closed since July 31 are expected to be resolved today.
Latvia’s Ministry of the Interior proposed closing the border amid the migration crisis. However, Prime Minister Andris Kuļbergs said that migrants were entering Latvia not through the border crossing but by attempting to climb over the border fence, and therefore Pāternieki would not be closed.
Kuļbergs said that in August, Latvia’s interior and defence ministries would take preventive measures to combat illegal migration. The government is considering all possible options to address the issue.
According to the Latvian prime minister, closing the border crossing on the Belarusian border is not currently under consideration, but such a decision could be made if the situation at the crossing deteriorates.
“This issue is not currently on the agenda, but it is one of several options that we can move forward with,” Kuļbergs said.
To combat illegal migration, NATO forces will be redeployed closer to the border for the duration of military exercises.
“The defence minister has also announced that military exercises will be held, and the forces of our allies will also be deployed in much greater numbers closer to the border, which will help strengthen border security,” the Latvian prime minister said.
According to Kuļbergs, the technical problems at the border crossing, which have kept it closed since Friday, are expected to be resolved today. The problems are related to mobile network coverage.
The Pāternieki border crossing, the only operational checkpoint on the Latvia-Belarus border, suspended operations on the evening of July 31. The Latvian side said the closure was caused by a “technical malfunction.” Belarus’ Foreign Ministry threatened Latvia with retaliatory measures of an asymmetric nature.
