Дональд Туск. Скриншот видео
Poland is ready to reopen two border crossings on its frontier with Belarus in November, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced at the EU Cohesion and Cross-Border Development Forum in Białystok on Wednesday. The crossings in question are Bobrowniki (Berastavitsa on the Belarusian side) and Kuźnica (Bruzgi).
“We will be ready this year — in fact, I can say even in November — to reopen two border crossings in Bobrowniki and Kuźnica. As for Bobrowniki, there are no logistical problems,” Tusk said. He noted that due to ongoing repairs in Kuźnica, only vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tonnes will be allowed to pass until the end of the year.
The reopening of the Połowce–Peschatka crossing is not under consideration while a military camp remains stationed there.
According to Tusk, Poland would have been ready to reopen the Bobrowniki and Kuźnica crossings as early as this week, but a problem arose on the Lithuanian–Belarusian border. He recalled that Lithuania had closed its border with Belarus and said that Poland must coordinate its policies with its neighbors.
“If we are talking about reopening these border crossings, it is primarily because the border is now more secure than ever before. Thanks to our joint efforts, the Polish–Belarusian border is probably the most protected border in all of Europe. Therefore, we can take a certain risk associated with its reopening, as we believe the benefits outweigh the risks,” Tusk stated.
The prime minister said the crossings would reopen on a trial basis.
“If the need arises to close the border again, I won’t hesitate for a second,” he added.
Currently, two road crossings operate on the Belarus–Poland border: Brest–Terespol for passenger cars and buses, and Kozlovichi–Kukuryki for freight transport. There are also railway crossings for cargo trains at Kuźnica Białostocka–Hrodna, Siemianówka–Svislach, and Terespol–Brest.