Belarusian visa waiver for Lithuanians, Latvians benefits Belarus’ intelligence, Lithuania says

May 17, BPN. Belarus’ intelligence services might benefit from the extension of the visa-free entry for Lithuanians and Latvians to Belarus until the end of 2022, Delfi reported, citing Laurynas Kasčiūnas, chair of the Lithuanian Seimas Committee on National Security and Defense.

After a review of the national threat assessment report prepared by Lithuanian intelligence, Kaščiūnas noted increased risks of Belarusian intelligence taking advantage of Lithuanian nationals, especially considering a threefold increase in the number of their trips to Belarus. The MP added that such risks should be under control, and suggested a social media campaign to inform Lithuanians about possible threats when visiting Belarus.

According to Rustam Lubayev, head of the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service, up to 450 Lithuanians, including truck drivers, crossed the Lithuania-Belarus border every day before the visa waiver in April, while in May crossings increased to 1,500 people per day.

Minsk announced visa-free entry to Belarus for Latvian and Lithuanian nationals effective from April 15 to May 15. The border service linked the decision to “the upcoming Orthodox and Catholic holidays.” Later, the visa waiver was extended until the end of 2022.

The Belarusian State Border Committee reported that 35,224 foreigners, including 22,454 Lithuanian nationals, used the visa waiver between April 15 and May 15.

Vilnius and Riga urged their citizens not to visit Belarus for security reasons. Lithuanian intelligence said that Russian and Belarusian special services attempted to recruit Lithuanians who visited Belarus.