{"id":163876,"date":"2025-11-12T17:29:50","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T14:29:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/163876\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"lithuanian-interior-minister-suggests-meeting-with-belarusian-border-officials-to-resolve-border-closure-crisis","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/163876\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuanian interior minister suggests meeting with Belarusian border officials to resolve border closure crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

November 12, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Lithuania could propose Belarus a meeting of border officials to resolve the crisis after border closure in connection with cigarette-smuggling balloons, said the Baltic country\u2019s Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovi\u010d.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted \u201cpositive\u201d signals from Belarus. \u201cAs for the border, we seem to see certain moves from Belarus,\u201d he was quoted as saying today by Delfi<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ry\u017eanko\u016d said the same day that Belarus is ready to negotiate with Lithuania border reopening \u201cat any time, in any territory, without any preconditions,\u201d but stressed that the crisis went \u201cabsolutely beyond the authority\u201d of the border control agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His statement followed his meeting with Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka yesterday. The head of state instructed him to negotiate \u201cnormalizing the situation and resuming full-fledged operation of checkpoints\u201d on the Belarusian-Lithuanian border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk prioritizes \u201cthe earliest possible resolution of the situation,\u201d Ry\u017eanko\u016d said, noting that the foreign ministry plans a series of political and diplomatic measures to resolve the situation as soon as possible and restore border traffic. The Belarusian side forwarded its proposals to Lithuania via the authorized border authorities and is awaiting a response, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lithuanian prime minister confirmed receiving Minsk\u2019s proposal to begin negotiations. She told a Lithuanian broadcaster that officials must make sure that positive signals from Belarus are genuine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier today, Lithuanian Foreign Minister K\u0119stutis Budrys linked the reopening of the shared border with Belarus, closed since October 29 over cigarette-smuggling balloons from Belarus, to de-escalation of tensions and an end to balloon incursions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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