November 18, Pozirk. Lithuanian border control officials have urged their Belarusian counterparts to take proactive measures against cigarette smuggling by air, Delfi reported.
Border officials from both countries held their first technical meeting today at the Lavoriškės checkpoint, marking the first formal contact since Lithuania closed all border crossings on October 29 in response to repeated incursions by cigarette-smuggling balloons launched from Belarus.
During the talks, Lithuanian officials pressed Minsk to allow Lithuanian trucks currently stranded in Belarus to leave the country. The meeting also addressed the ongoing flow of irregular migration from Belarus, which has shown no signs of easing since 2021.
Ahead of the talks, Remigijus Motuzas, chairman of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs, said Vilnius might reopen border checkpoints earlier than the planned date of November 30. The Lithuanian government is set to discuss the matter tomorrow, with Motuzas describing today’s technical meeting as a key factor in shaping the final decision.
On Monday, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys also suggested that an earlier reopening was possible, emphasizing that Lithuania’s priority remained countering hybrid threats and pressuring Minsk to change its behavior.
Currently, 1,265 Lithuania-registered trucks are stranded in Belarus as a result of the one-month border closure imposed by Vilnius on October 29. Following the closure, Minsk barred Lithuanian trucks from leaving Belarus and directed them to guarded parking areas. Lithuania has accused Belarus of further escalating tensions by seizing the trucks and preventing their departure.
