Lithuania reopened the Medininkai and Šalčininkai border control points on the Belarusian border during the night to Thursday, despite previously deciding that they would remain closed at least until the end of November.
“As planned, the border control points fully resumed operations at midnight,” said State Border Guard Service spokesperson Giedrius Mišutis.
He stated that so far no significant traffic flow has been observed at the checkpoints.
Lithuanian freight trucks that had become stranded in Belarus due to the border closure have not yet begun returning, as they must first complete formalities at parking areas where Belarusian authorities had ordered them to stay.
On Wednesday, the Lithuanian government decided to reopen the border with Belarus earlier than initially planned. During a National Security Commission meeting on Tuesday, it was concluded that conditions had changed and that the restrictions introduced by the government on the 29th of October were no longer necessary to ensure internal security.
Politicians and officials said
the decision to reopen the checkpoints was linked to Minsk showing willingness to cooperate
in countering the threats posed by smugglers’ balloons.
After an increase in contraband balloons coming from Belarus was registered in Lithuania — which also repeatedly disrupted operations at Vilnius Airport — the Lithuanian government decided at the end of October to close the border with Belarus until the 30th of November, with exceptions for specific groups of travellers. It was also suggested that the closure could later be extended.
Following Poland’s decision on Monday to reopen two of its border control points with Belarus, Lithuanian and Belarusian border guard officials held technical discussions on Tuesday regarding the return of Lithuanian freight trucks, as well as issues concerning smuggling and migrants.
The border closure created difficulties for freight carriers, as Minsk, in response to Vilnius’ decision, announced that Lithuanian-registered trucks and trailers were prohibited from moving across Belarusian territory and must remain in designated parking areas, which cost 120 euros per day. Minsk has threatened to confiscate vehicles if parking fees are not paid.
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