While Russia is building closer ties with Belarus and encouraging it to engage in war, Lithuanian politicians are calling for stricter restrictions on the Lithuanian-Belarusian border, writes Lithuanian media LRT.
The restrictions would apply to citizens of both Belarus and Lithuania.
Member of the European Parliament Petras Auštrevičius insists: considering the rapprochement of the regimes, Vilnius should apply exactly the same sanctions against citizens of Belarus as against citizens of Russia. He stated:
«I am convinced that the difference between Belarusian and Russian citizens is shrinking.»
He believes that restrictions should also be applied to persons from Belarus, which means that only persons for whom it is a matter of personal safety would be allowed into Lithuania. He added that it is too much to let anyone else into Lithuania.
Political expert Maksimas Milta disagrees with Auštrevičius and points out that Belarusians are completely different, which was already proven in the 2020 protests. Milta said that arguments about the danger of Belarusians are used to score political points.
Almost a million Belarusians have entered Lithuania in 2022, some as tourists, others for a longer period. Evelina Gudzinskaitė, head of the Lithuanian Migration Service, pointed out that many Belarusians come to Lithuania to work and are therefore important for the country’s economy, moreover, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Belarusians have been subjected to additional checks, and the issuance of visas is limited.
Lithuanian Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė explained that the government is monitoring the situation at the border, and additional security measures will be taken if necessary. The minister added:
«The situation with Belarus is always sensitive. And the sensitivity is such that at any time there could be a question about the border regime in general.»
Meanwhile, Auštrevičius believes that Lithuanians going to Belarus is also a sensitive topic. The politician points out that the questions should also apply to Lithuanians, for example, do they agree that the money spent in Belarus is used to sponsor the war?
Belarus has announced that it will extend the visa-free regime with Lithuania until the end of 2023. At the same time, Lithuanian security authorities call on citizens to refrain from visiting Belarus.
Read the full article here: https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/1857069/amid-moscow-minsk-rapprochement-lithuanian-politician-calls-for-belarus-travel-ban
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