A specific meeting between representatives of Lithuania and Belarus at the level of deputy ministers is not currently being coordinated, but discussions are under way in Vilnius about the possible substance of such talks and the neutral territory where they could take place. This was stated by Chair of the Lithuanian Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs Remigijus Motuzas, LRT reports.
“As we know, Belarus is now provoking a meeting at the level of deputy ministers; at present there is no refusal, the issue is being discussed,” he said on Thursday on Žinių radijas.
Motuzas confirmed this information on LRT Radijas as well.
“But let us openly acknowledge that the question arises of what we would talk about if we were to meet; there must be an agenda. Our immediate interest is that there are no hybrid threats and that these trucks are released. (…) At this stage, Lithuania is not rejecting these pragmatic interests, but at present an agenda is being formulated. And the second stage is where, in which neutral zone, we could meet,” he said.
Later, Motuzas told BNS that no specific meeting of deputy ministers with Belarus is currently being discussed.
“At the moment, no concrete meeting is being discussed. We see pressure from Belarus; discussions are under way on what the agenda of such a meeting might look like, we must decide on which issues we would meet,” the Foreign Ministry representative explained.
If such a meeting does take place, it could be organized not in Lithuania or Belarus, but in a neutral location, for example as part of a multilateral event, the politician said.
“There are multilateral events in which Belarus is a member of these organizations and is represented by delegations. Such a neutral country could be one linked to some forum, conference, or event in another country,” he said.
According to him, the country’s interests include preventing hybrid threats and securing the release of trucks stuck in Belarus.
“If we achieve a result and can announce that we have nevertheless managed to help carriers, this would be a certain achievement of diplomacy. I think no one would condemn the fact that our vice-minister met with the vice-minister of Belarus if this helps to resolve some issues that concern or worry us,” the committee chair said.
Regarding weather balloons flying into Lithuania from Belarus and trucks of Lithuanian companies that are not being allowed to leave Belarus, representatives of border services have recently met at a technical level.
Lithuanian authorities view the launches of such aerostats as hybrid attacks by Minsk. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys has previously stated that pressure on Vilnius is used by the Belarusian regime in attempts to legitimize itself on the international stage.
