Скриншот трансляции
The Lithuanian government will this week adopt a decision to close the border with Belarus indefinitely, while allowing certain exceptions. Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė announced this after a meeting of the National Security Commission.
“We are ready to make a decision on an indefinite closure of the border with Belarus with some exceptions, meaning that diplomats and diplomatic mail will still be able to travel, and our citizens, as well as EU citizens, will also be able to enter Lithuania from Belarus.
But all other movement will be stopped. This sends a signal to Belarus that we will not tolerate any hybrid attacks here and will take the strictest measures to prevent such actions,” she said, as reported by LRT.
According to her, the government meeting that will define the border closure regime will take place on Wednesday. The border will remain closed until then.
Ruginienė noted that the meeting developed an action plan that also includes intensified efforts to combat smuggling. Police and State Security Service forces will be mobilized. Penalties for smuggling are expected to be toughened, including the introduction of prison sentences.
In the diplomatic sphere, the Foreign Ministry will seek additional EU sanctions against Belarus.
“This will be done in the near future. We are also actively consulting and communicating with our allies and neighbors — Poland and Latvia. All our actions are coordinated with them; we are not an isolated state, we are part of NATO and the EU. We coordinate everything we do with them,” she said.
The Lithuanian government will also take measures to ensure the operation of airports. Shuttle bus services will be organized between the airports in Vilnius and Kaunas in case of flight diversions. Lithuania will also monitor the direction of balloon movements more closely to manage its airspace more flexibly.