Фото: Госпогранкомитет
Lithuania plans to allow around 500 trucks and trailers stranded in Belarus to cross through the Šalčininkai checkpoint, Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič said on Ziniu radijas radio, according to LRT.
“A large group is at the Šalčininkai checkpoint, on the Belarusian side in Benyakoni. We expect that these vehicles will be able to start moving through this crossing because they cannot go anywhere else. The drivers and trailers are there as well,” Kondratovich said.
According to him, Lithuania will try to reach an agreement with the Belarusian side on the passage of vehicles located in the neutral zone.
“At the technical level, we will likely pass a message through our border guards about the possibility of using Šalčininkai specifically for this transport. We’ll see how Belarus responds. If we can agree that only those vehicles physically located in the neutral zone near the border will be allowed to pass, then we can make progress—and take it from there,” the interior minister said.
Earlier, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginenė said that Vilnius would contact the Belarusian authorities to discuss the return of trucks stranded in Belarus.
Lithuania closed its border crossings with Belarus until November 30 in response to the intrusion of meteorological probes from Belarus that disrupted airport operations. Only certain categories of travelers are allowed to cross via the Medininkai checkpoint. In turn, the Belarusian government has banned trucks with Lithuanian registration from leaving the country through Poland and Latvia. According to the Belarusian State Customs Committee, about 5,000 Lithuanian trucks and trailers remain blocked in Belarus.