The Lithuanian Seimas has begun considering a bill to denounce the agreement with Belarus on local border traffic. The document was signed in 2010 and was intended to allow visa-free travel for residents of border regions. Under the agreement, they would have been able to cross the border using special permits and stay in the neighbouring border zone for up to 90 days within a six-month period.
Lithuania ratified the agreement in 2011, but Belarus never completed its ratification procedures. As a result, the agreement never entered into force.
Deputy Foreign Minister Vidmantas Verbickas sees no prospects for the agreement to remain in place.
“According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, given that the agreement never entered into force and more than 15 years have passed since its signing, it has lost relevance for both parties. Therefore, its denunciation is appropriate,” the vice minister said, according to LRT.
The Seimas has accepted the bill for consideration and referred it to parliamentary committees. The legislation is expected to be reviewed at a plenary session later this month.
