Belarus is ready for the Lithuanian border to open and was not the one that closed it. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the relevant statement during a government conference held in Minsk on 10 November to discuss a draft program for the next five-year term. But at the beginning the president made a few comments about the situation that had evolved at the Belarusian-Lithuanian border, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “I’d like to state: we have been ready for the opening of the border for a long time. We didn’t close it. The border’s operation can be resumed on our side within several hours. The border service is ready for it on the whole.”
The head of state said that when the chairman of the State Border Committee had delivered a report to the president the other day, the report covered the situation and mentioned that Lithuania would like to reduce tensions in the current situation. “I responded to him by say that if Lithuania wants that, then the ball is on their side. They are free to open the border. We will work and cooperate just the way we’ve been doing up till now,” the president stated.
Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that the Lithuanian nation has nothing to do with the decision of the Lithuanian authorities to close the border with Belarus. “I don’t even want to say for what reasons. Today we know the reaction of the Lithuanian nation – of citizens of Lithuania, of the private sector – to these actions. Naturally, Lithuanian authorities have had to take steps and implement some measures,” the president said. “As usual, they have decided to do some mouse hunting and try to once again pressure us and accuse us of either [launching weather] balloons [to smuggle cigarettes] or something else. Although an exhaustive answer to this question has been given. And an investigation by our agencies and by Lithuania’s confirms who runs this cigarette business, who sends these balloons across the border, and so on.”
“Understanding that a complicated situation has evolved around the border closure, they [Lithuania] have tried to move the resolution of the issue from the interstate level to the level of a border guard station. I call it mouse hunting. They contacted the Lida border service unit (not a government agency, not the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not the central government) with either a request or a demand to open the border. We have two border crossings operational in that section. They wanted the border opened in one section for the sake of allegedly evacuating some vehicles,” the head of state said.
“I didn’t even let him finish this report. I said: fine, once they are ready to evacuate, once they come to terms with our side… After all, we virtually have no customs service or border service personnel at the border crossing. Due to the closure. Our personnel have been reassigned to other sections. It was my decision. Once they are ready [in Lithuania], we will negotiate. If they want to evacuate, they are free to evacuate,” the Belarusian leader stated.
This is why during the entire day yesterday upon Aleksandr Lukashenko’s instructions and under the supervision of the state secretary of the Security Council police personnel gathered all the Lithuanian vehicles at border crossings and placed them under police protection. “So that they would not blame us later on for doing something bad. They have been placed under protection. If they want to evacuate, well, we are going to negotiate,” the president said.
“The vehicles have been gathered up. They are secured. Those, who protect them, have requested €120 per day I think. The protection has been paid for. Every day under protection will cost €120. Pay and take the vehicles with the cargoes away. If it doesn’t happen within the next several days, we will make a decision according to our laws as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated. Right up to seizing these automobiles. They cannot hang about on the roads. 1,100 or 1,200 huge semi-trailer trucks, which were parked on some road,” the head of state pointed out.
Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that he had given a separate instruction concerning drivers of the semi-trucks. “People have been suffering. The drivers have been suffering. I’ve given an instruction to take good care of the drivers. They bear no guilt. Freight receivers in Lithuania are not guilty of anything either. They are free to contact the Lithuanian authorities for the sake of resolving these issues. This is why we will deliver the drivers right to the border crossing at the border. Make sure the drivers don’t get offended,” the president made a request. “If they don’t want to drive away, they are free to spend nights in their vehicles just the way they have done on the road or they can stay in hotels. We should provide for all the 1,100 or 1,500 drivers. Everyone should get everything they need. People need to be fed, should be able to wash, and get other needs taken care of.”
“If they want to evacuate, let them evacuate. It is not our problem. After all, I guess we transport next to nothing across this border due to sanctions. Only some kinds of goods that Lithuanians or Poles desperately need. If they need them very much, they make an order and we transport them. If they don’t order the goods, we don’t transport them there. And to Kazakhs, Russians, the Chinese, and other countries they [Lithuania] will have to offer not simply a very serious explanation but they will have to sort it out. Because nobody should act like that,” the Belarusian leader explained.
“We will talk about all the other things during negotiations with a delegation of the United States of America soon. I feel they have been involved,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.