The Linava transport association intends to file a collective lawsuit against the Lithuanian government over trucks stranded in Belarus. This was stated by the association’s president Erlandas Mikėnas.
“There has been no progress regarding the return of the trucks. There is no news either from Belarus or from the government. At present, as an association, we are helping carriers organize meetings with law firms; the final one will take place tomorrow, and in the middle of the week we will decide which firm we will cooperate with.
We have gathered members of our association who wish to take part in a collective lawsuit against the government. Carriers who are not members of any association have also contributed. (…) More than 100 companies have registered,” Delfi quoted him as saying.
According to Mikėnas, the carriers will first, with the help of lawyers, approach the government in an attempt to find a “peaceful” solution. He said that at the end of December representatives of the association held a meeting with Lithuania’s Ministry of Transport. At that meeting, it was agreed that the primary task should be the return of the trucks rather than discussions about their number. Despite assurances that work is under way to secure the return of the vehicles, the association has not received any detailed information.
“The Ministry of Transport assured us that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actively working on this issue, although we have not yet received any information about this. They say they cannot disclose all the measures being taken. We have signed up for a meeting with the foreign minister and will see whether we manage to talk, because so far we have had virtually no contact,” Mikėnas explained.
It should be recalled that in October last year Lithuania closed the border with Belarus in response to incidents involving smugglers’ balloons that disrupted operations at Vilnius Airport. At that time, Alyaksandr Lukashenka ordered Lithuanian carriers’ trucks to be gathered at special parking sites and fees to be charged for their guarding. The border was reopened in November, but the trucks have still not been allowed to leave.